Unintended Consequences
by sbmcneil
Summary: When Ron and Harry got into their fight while out hunting Horcruxes, Hermione ran after Ron leading to some unintended consequences. Even with the best of intentions, things can still go wrong.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaime**r : I do not own Harry Potter, just borrowed the amazing characters from JK Rowlings

* * *

"There's the birthday girl!"

"Bill!" Ginny ran the last few feet into the kitchen and threw herself into her oldest brother's waiting arms. Bill laughed and lifted her off her feet as he returned the hug. He set her down on her feet and kissed her on the cheek.

"Ginny, 'appy birthday."

Ginny smiled and accepted a kiss on the cheek from her new sister-in-law.

"Thanks. I didn't expect to see you two, I thought you were still in France." Ginny said as the three of them sat down at the kitchen table.

"We wanted to be back in time for your birthday." Bill said easily as he accepted a mug of coffee from his mother.

"Happy birthday, dear." Mrs. Weasley said as she hugged her youngest child.

"Thanks, Mum." Ginny said as she kissed her mother on the cheek. "Where's Dad?"

Mrs. Weasley sighed, "He had to go into work early. Things are so unsettled at the Ministry right now. Charlie went to help the twins at their shop, the three of them will be over for dinner tonight."

"Is Dad okay?" Bill asked.

Mrs. Weasley sat at the table joining the other three. "We think so. Your father managed to convince them that he hadn't seen Harry since the end of last school year and we don't know where he is. Healers from St. Mungo's came and certified that Ron has Spattergroit, so at least that part of their plan seems to be working. I just wish we knew a little more."

Looking from his mother to his sister, Bill asked cautiously, "So do we know where they went?"

Ginny shook her head, "No. They disappeared as soon as Kingsley's Patronus arrived and they haven't been heard from since. Dad says that is good news, if they caught Harry we would know about it."

"Do we have to talk about this on Ginny's birthday? Are you going to open your presents, love?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

Ginny felt a twinge of annoyance, but forced a smile on her face. She knew that the past few weeks had been hard on her mother and more than one night she'd heard her mother crying. Part of her was annoyed with Ron, Hermione, and Harry for disappearing, but the larger part of her understood that they had a role to play in this war.

"Of course, Mum." Ginny said as she reached for one of the gaily wrapped packages sitting at her place.

After a leisurely breakfast catching up with her brother and his new wife, Ginny carried her birthday presents up to her room. Closing her door she set down the boxes of robes, books, and joke products on the edge of her desk.

A pop behind her made her spin around. She pulled her wand and to her astonishment found she was holding it on a house elf. It took her a minute to recognize Kreacher, he was neat and clean and wearing a snowy white towel.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked shakily while still holding her wand on the old elf.

"Pardon me, miss. My master sent me with this." The old elf replied holding out a package.

"Your master?" asked Ginny, not making a move to take the package.

"Yes, miss. Master Harry." Kreacher answered. "He said to tell you that Hungarian Horntails are much more macho than Hippogriffs and definitely better than Pygmy Puffs."

Ginny lowered her wand with a gasp. Kreacher continued, "Master Harry told me to ask you what he smells in Amortentia."

Tears sprang to her eyes as she realized that Harry really did send the elf. "Treacle tart, broomsticks, and me."

Kreacher nodded and once again held out the package. Ginny reached out and took the package. Giving her a nod, Kreacher said, "I must go back to my master. He told me that if you are ever in need, call and I will come."

With a pop, Kreacher disappeared. Ginny sank down on her bed turning the package over in her hand. There was a roll of parchment attached to a box wrapped in plain brown paper. With a shaking hand, Ginny unrolled the parchment.

_Ginny,_

_I wish I could be there to wish you a Happy Birthday in person. I know I gave up the right to tell you this, but I really miss you, Gin. Ron and Hermione are great and they've been with me since my first year, but I wish you were here._

_I don't remember ever being happier than those weeks that we were together, it was like it was out of someone else's life. I can't really explain to you what I am doing, but I wanted to make sure you know that I miss you and really wish you were here._

_I've been reading the Prophet and know that you have to attend Hogwarts with Snape as Headmaster. Be careful. I know you can take care of yourself. You are smart and strong and a very powerful witch. I broke it off because I couldn't bear to see you hurt because of me. If Voldemort ever found out how much you mean to me, I don't even want to think about what would happen. I would do anything to keep you safe. Snape knows about us. If you think you are in danger, please call Kreacher. He will come and get you no matter where you are. For that matter if you need anything, anything at all call for Kreacher._

_Have a great birthday! I hope you like your gift._

_Love,_

_Harry_

_P.S. I didn't get a chance to tell you, but you looked beautiful at the wedding._

Ginny reread the letter through several times before she realized that tears were falling down her face. Smiling through her tears, Ginny unwrapped the box. Inside was another shorter note.

_Gin_

_This bracelet was my Mum's. Sirius had a small jewelry box of hers that she had entrusted to him before my parents went into hiding. When I first saw this, I immediately thought of you. It is beautiful and sparkly, just like you._

_Harry_

With a shaking hand, Ginny lifted the lid and gasped when she saw a beautiful ruby and diamond bracelet. She clasped the bracelet around her wrist and held it up, admiring the way the gems gleamed in the light. With a smile, she dried her eyes and folded the two notes up and carefully placed them in her treasure box. She didn't know what was going to happen, but she suddenly felt much more confident about the future.


	2. Chapter 1  The Fight

Author's note: This starts directly after the events in _The Deathly Hallows_ - Chapter 15 – The Goblin's Revenge

* * *

"Ron!"

Hermione ran out of the tent, following him and calling his name. As she reached him and grabbed for his arm, he Apparated away, taking Hermione with him.

"Bloody hell, Hermione!" Ron yelled. "I could have splinched us both. What the hell were you thinking?"

"You are not thinking straight. The Horcrux is-"

He interrupted her angrily. "I know what I'm thinking, Hermione. He doesn't have a plan. He doesn't know what to do next. You and I both thought he knew more than he told us."

"Ron, he is our best friend. We can't just abandon him. Yes, I am a little disappointed – I thought we'd have made more progress by now -"

The rest of Hermione's argument was drowned out by the sound of laughter. Turning, Hermione was horrified to discover that she and Ron were surrounded by group of rather large, rough looking men, men who, to her horror, were pointing wands at them.

"_Expelliarmus!"_

The largest of the men surrounding them summoned their wands while the others held them at wandpoint. Two large burly men moved so they were on either side of Ron and grabbed his arms. When he struggled, they punched him several times in the stomach and face.

After they had subdued Ron, the leader turned back to Hermione.

"So, what do we have here? A lover's tiff?" he asked, leering at Hermione.

"Stay back!" Ron yelled. This earned him another fist in the gut from the two men on either side of him.

"Are you going to stay down now, Ginger?" one of the men jeered at Ron with a laugh.

"So what are you two lovebirds doing? Shouldn't you be in school?" the leader asked.

"We're through with school," Hermione said, her mind racing. _Why on earth did these men care if they were in school?_

"We'll see about that," the leader replied with a laugh. To Hermione's astonishment, he pulled a scroll from his pocket. "What are your names?"

Exchanging a scared look with Ron, she said, "L-lily Prewett and this is my cousin, Don."

The leader looked up after reading down the list. "You aren't on the list. What house were you in at Hogwarts?"

"Ravenclaw," Hermione answered quickly. "We finished last year."

"Prewett? Boss, aren't most of the Prewetts blood traitors?" one of the men asked the leader.

"How the bleeding hell would I know?" replied the leader heatedly. "They aren't on the missing list."

"So we are just going to let them go?" one of the men asked in disappointment.

"There's no reward if they aren't on the list," the leader said. "Let them go."

With one last punch, the two men sent Ron sprawling to the ground. Hermione ran over to his side and helped him sit up. She looked up in time to see the leader look back at the two of them and laugh.

He tossed their wands on the ground before raising his wand and pointing it at the two of them. He yelled, "_Stupefy!_"

* * *

"Wake up."

Hermione woke to see a plump older lady bent over her. The lady smiled when she saw Hermione's eyes open. "Oh good, you're awake."

Looking around, Hermione saw that they were still in the clearing, although it was dark and a bit colder now. Ron was lying a few feet away from her. Following her line of vision, the older woman said, "Don't worry about your young man. He is fine. I am Agatha Clark. Let me help you."

With Agatha's help, Hermione sat up. Now that the danger had passed, Hermione could concentrate a little more on her surroundings. She could hear the distant sound of waves crashing on the rocks. "Where are we?"

"Falmouth, in Cornwall, dear. I think the Snatchers must have found you," Agatha said.

Before Hermione could question her, Ron moaned. The two women hurried over to him. "Ron, are you okay?"

"Hermione." Ron struggled to open his eyes. In the moonlight, Hermione could see the bruising and swelling over Ron's face from the beating he'd taken.

"Young man, can you stand if we help you?" Agatha asked.

"I think so," Ron mumbled.

Between the three of them, they had Ron on his feet, but he was swaying.

"My house is just over that way," Agatha said, pointing towards a cluster of lights visible through the trees. Hermione surmised that the village must lie in that direction. It was a short ten minutes to walk to Agatha's house.

Once they were comfortably settled around the kitchen table in Agatha's small cottage, Hermione turned to their hostess. "Ma'am, what did you mean by Snatchers?"

Agatha chuckled softly as she bustled around her kitchen preparing tea and some thick sandwiches for her guests. "Please, child. Just call me Agatha."

After settling the food down on the table, Agatha explained. "Snatchers are roving gangs of wizards working for the Ministry. They are helping that horrid Muggleborn committee or whatever they are calling it. They search for missing Muggleborn students from Hogwarts or Muggleborn witches and wizards who have fled. They get a fee from the Ministry when they turn in missing students or Muggleborns."

Hermione listened in horror. So much had changed in just a few short months. "So that's why they were asking us about school."

Agatha nodded. Seeing that Ron had polished off the plate of sandwiches, she replenished it with a wave of her wand. Smiling at Ron, she said, "It's nice to see a young man with an appetite. My sons are all grown now, so I'm glad to have someone who appreciates my food."

Swallowing a mouthful of food, Ron replied, "Thank you, ma'am. We haven't had much in the way of home cooked meals recently."

Getting up from the table, Agatha walked over to one of the kitchen cabinets. She pulled out several vials of potion. She brought these over to the table and handed them to the young couple. "Here, I have some nutrient potions and something for those bruises. I can tell you two have many secrets and I won't pry into your business. Please just let me help you for the night. I have plenty of extra rooms. The two of you can stay the night and be on your way in the morning."

Hermione looked over at Ron. Watching him down the vials of potions, she realized it was not the best idea to take potions from a stranger, but it was too late as he'd already taken them.

Agatha had gotten up and taken the dirty dishes to the sink. Hermione rather thought she was giving them some privacy.

Casting a quick _Muffliato, _Hermione said harshly to Ron, "You shouldn't have just taken those potions."

"What difference does it make? We ate her food," Ron pointed out.

Not having an answer for that, Hermione asked, "What should we do? Harry is out there by himself."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Harry, it's always about Harry. Hermione, we have the chance to sleep in a real bed and eat real food. I was just beaten and stunned. I'm staying here tonight. We'll find Harry in the morning."

The thought of a shower and real bed were quite tempting. "Okay, we'll stay here tonight. We'll have a long talk in the morning."

Canceling the charm, Hermione turned to Agatha. "We'd like to take you up on your offer."

Agatha smiled and showed them upstairs. She set them up in their own rooms opposite from each other on a small hallway. Pointing to the room at the top of the stairs, Agatha said, "That is the bathroom, if you'd like to get cleaned up. I can find some night clothes for you and throw your clothes in the laundry if you'd like."

Thirty minutes later, Hermione found herself ensconced in a small, nautically themed bedroom, brushing her hair in front of the fireplace. She felt clean and well fed for the first time in months. She never felt she could get really clean in the small bathroom in the tent. It had not been made for so many months of continuous use. A twinge of guilt ran through her at the thought of Harry all alone in the tent in the rain, but they would rejoin him in the morning. Some things would need to change, though. They could not keep floundering as they had been. Perhaps she needed to take a more active role. Perhaps she needed to lead them for a while.

With that thought, Hermione fell asleep.

* * *

Harry woke the next morning after a restless, and for the most part, sleepless night. It had taken him a good ten minutes to realize that no, Ron and Hermione were not coming back in the tent. He had stood out in the rain searching and occasionally calling their names for almost an hour before going back to the tent.

For a brief moment after waking, he expected to hear his friends bickering about breakfast. The deafening silence told him otherwise. He slid out of the bunk and quickly cleaned himself in the rudimentary bathroom. He looked around for a change of clothes, but he soon realized that they had not unpacked much the night before. All of his extra clothes, the potions, books, and other supplies they had brought were still in Hermione's little beaded bag.

He walked the perimeter of the camp, slightly wary of running into the group they'd heard talking the night before. Using the spell he'd seen Hermione perform at Grimmauld Place, Harry determined there was no one else around. He made his way down to the riverbank and using one of the cups from the night before, got some water to drink. On the way back to the campsite, he picked a few berries that had been left forgotten in one of the bushes. The berries were tart. Harry's stomach turned as he gulped down the handful of berries.

After his brief meal, Harry looked around the tent. He knew he had been delaying this moment in hopes that his friends would return, but the sun was rising in the sky and he needed to move on. It didn't seem like Ron and Hermione were coming back.

Grabbing his notes on the Horcruxes and the locket, Harry Disapparated away from the riverbank in Wales. The feeling of being compressed combined with his still slightly queasy stomach caused Harry to vomit as soon as he arrived. He hadn't given his destination that much thought, but somehow he knew where to go. He had ended up in the secluded backyard of number 4 Privet Drive. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve and headed for the back door.

Feeling for the hidden key near the door frame, Harry unlocked the door and slipped quietly into the dark and cold interior of his relatives' house. He had found out while he was still at the Burrow that once the wards had fallen at Privet Drive, a small contingent of Death Eaters had searched the place, but after that, it had been left alone. The Order of the Phoenix had disabled the Death Eater traps and cleaned up the house. They had even gone to the effort of placing a Mirage Charm on the house so it looked to the Muggles as if people were living there.

Harry silently made his way up to his old bedroom. Dumping his notes and the locket on the desk, Harry threw himself on his bed and gave into the waves of anger and misery that he had managed to keep at bay. Burying his head into his pillow, he sobbed himself to sleep.

* * *

Hermione made her way downstairs the next morning, feeling well rested. To her surprise, it was late morning, almost eleven in the morning. Her hostess was sitting at her kitchen table reading the morning paper.

"Good morning, dear," Agatha said as Hermione entered the kitchen. "You must have been exhausted."

Shyly accepting the offered cup of coffee, Hermione said, "I'm sorry for sleeping so late. It's been a while since I've slept in a real bed."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I didn't expect either of you down here very early. You had an exhausting and rather traumatic day yesterday," Agatha said, setting a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast down in front of Hermione. "Trust me, you and your friend are not the first wayward souls I've taken in for the night."

"We're not?" Hermione asked in surprise.

Agatha chucked. "Oh no. Falmouth used to be famous for the smugglers bringing things into the country, but with the new regime, we are now being used to smuggle people out of the country. Many Muggleborns or those fearing persecution have made their way to our shores, hoping to get across the channel to relative safety in France."

Before Hermione could respond, she heard clattering on the stairs that heralded the arrival of Ron.

"Good morning," he greeted the two witches.

He happily tucked into his breakfast while Hermione questioned Agatha on the latest happenings in the Magical world.

After Ron finished his breakfast, Agatha smiled at the two of them. "I'll let the two of you talk. Remember if need be, we can get you on a boat to France."

"Thank you, Agatha," Hermione said with a smile.

As Agatha went upstairs to straighten up the bedrooms, Hermione cast a _Muffliato_.

"Ron, we need to talk about what we are going to do," Hermione said.

Ron avoided her eyes. "You know that Bill lives nearby."

"Ron," Hermione said sharply. "We need to get back to Harry."

"Harry, Harry, Harry. Why is it always about Harry?" Ron exploded.

"It isn't always about Harry," Hermione replied angrily. "But we promised that we would help him. We said we would always stick by him. I know he seems a little disorganized, but we can help him. I love him like a brother, but he is driving me around the twist."

"What?" Ron goggled at her.

Hermione looked up thrown by his question. "What do you mean, what?"

"You love him like a brother?" Ron asked.

"Well, yes. He's like the brother I've never had," Hermione said slowly as if he should obviously understand. "I know it seems like it might always be about Harry, but just until this is over. We promised we would help him. Do you realize we can help him save the world?"

Ron looked down at the table. His anger with Harry had mostly disappeared overnight. Hearing Hermione calling Harry a brother filled him with a warm and happy feeling. Memories of his friendship with Harry flooded over him and with the memories came the feeling of shame that he had let his insecurities get in the way of that friendship.

"Okay, Hermione," Ron said softly. "You are right. I know that…I just…that Horcrux just twisted everything around in my head. I could only hear…I mean I always feel so worthless and second best."

"Ron, it's hard on all of us when we are wearing the Horcrux," Hermione said. "We just…Ron, we need to make some changes when we go back. If Harry doesn't have more of a plan, maybe we could talk him into asking for some help. Professor McGonagall, Professor Lupin, or even your brother might be able to help us. Maybe we could stay with your brother for a while. We need a break from the tent and from always being hungry."

She risked a look across the table at him. His hand was so close to hers. She wanted to reach out and put her hand over his, but she hesitated. "Ron, when we go back…you need to be more…I don't know, helpful or positive. I know the Horcrux is affecting you, but you can't keep complaining and being so down. You are a great strategist. Help us."

Ron tamped down his initial anger at her comments. "I'll try, Hermione."

Hermione beamed at him. She canceled the Silencing Charm as Agatha came back down to the kitchen. "We will be headed out soon. We got separated from our friend and need to get back to him."

Smiling at Agatha, Ron said, "Miss Agatha, I don't think I've eaten so well in months. Thank you so much for your hospitality. Would you mind if I took another shower before we took off?"

"Of course not, my boy," Agatha said with a smile.

Thirty minutes later, Ron and Hermione were ready to go. Agatha hugged each of them in turn. "Good luck to you both. I hope all goes well for you."

Reaching behind her, Agatha handed them a large hamper. "I know you both looked as though you haven't eaten regularly. This will get you through for a while."

After thanking her and saying goodbye to Agatha, Ron and Hermione left the safety of Agatha's cottage and walked back to the clearing. With a pop, the two of them Apparated back to the riverbank in Wales where they had made camp only the day before.


	3. Chapter 2 Recovering

Harry woke late in the evening. His throat was sore and he had a headache. He sat up slowly and looked around the room. He half expected to his faithful Hedwig in her usual spot on his desk. Tears welled up in his eyes as he recalled the death of his faithful friend. He shook his head; he didn't have time to fall apart. Trying the light switch, he realized that the electricity had been turned off. Further investigation showed that the gas and water were still on, so he was hopeful he could at least heat some water for tea.

He made his way down to the kitchen. Longtime familiarity made it easy to navigate the house in the dark. Digging through Aunt Petunia's emergency drawer, Harry came up with a handful of candles and a box of matches. Quickly lighting a candle, Harry inventoried what was left in the kitchen. With no electricity, the refrigerator was empty, but Harry did find some tinned soup and fruit left in the pantry.

Harry managed to heat the tinned soup on the gas stove. He gulped it down and decided to search the house to see if there was anything he could use. Grabbing a pad of paper and pencil from the kitchen, he wandered through the house. His aunt and uncle had stored most of their valuables, but a majority of the furniture remained. He was pleased to find a twenty pound note stuffed in the corner of his uncle's favorite chair.

Moving to the upstairs rooms, Harry found a few more pounds in his aunt and uncle's room. His cousin's room had been stripped of all valuables. Harry returned to his room to sort out what he had found. Prying open the loose floorboard he had always used to keep his treasures, Harry dropped the locket into it. He knew he couldn't wear the locket all the time and retain his sanity.

Opening the mokeskin pouch he'd gotten from Hagrid on his birthday, Harry retrieved the broken shard of Sirius's old mirror, the snitch that Dumbledore had left him, his Invisibility Cloak, and the Marauder's Map.

Feeling chilled, Harry made his way down the hall and grabbed some linens and extra blankets for his bed. After making his bed, he wandered into the bathroom. To his relief, his aunt had left the stash of extra toothbrushes and toothpaste under the counter. After brushing his teeth, he looked in the mirror. His cheeks were red and his eyes were red and shining.

"Great," Harry said. "My first night on my own, I catch a cold."

Rummaging through the medicine cabinet, Harry found a bottle of pain relievers that could bring down his fever and downed a few. Making his way back to his bedroom, he stretched out on his bed and pulled out the Marauder's Map.

After saying the incantation, he watched and waited as the black ink covered the map. He didn't imagine that Ron would have gone straight back to Hogwarts and obviously Hermione couldn't go to Hogwarts under the current regime, but he couldn't stop himself from looking. To his relief, he didn't see a dot labeled Ron Weasley. He found the dot labeled Ginny Weasley in the Gryffindor common room. She seemed to be talking to Neville, Seamus, and Demelza.

He fell asleep watching Ginny's dot.

* * *

"Ron, over here," Hermione called.

Ron gave a sigh of relief when he spotted the familiar tent. It had taken them almost an hour to find the tent. He was beginning to think they wouldn't find it at all.

As Ron caught up with her, Hermione said, "See, I told you we would find it. I cast the privacy spells, so they wouldn't keep me out."

Rolling his eyes, Ron decided not to say anything. He didn't want to start an argument as soon as they found Harry again.

"Harry!"

They entered the tent and Ron knew right away something was wrong. "Harry!" He looked in both bunks and ducked into the small kitchen and bathroom.

Turning, he looked back at Hermione, who was suddenly pale. "He's not here."

Walking over to the common area, he sank down into the old overstuffed armchair in the corner.

"But – but, where would he have gone?" Hermione asked shakily as she sank down on one of the hard backed chairs from the kitchen.

"Maybe he went to look for something or maybe he's out looking for food," Ron suggested.

Hermione jumped up. "The Horcrux, is it here?"

It took the two of them only fifteen minutes to search the tent. It was gone. Ron could feel his temper starting to rise. _Where the hell could Harry have gone? He should have known they wouldn't be gone long_.

"I'll walk down to the riverbank and see if I can find him," Ron said.

Hermione nodded as she continued to look around the tent. Thirty minutes later, they admitted defeat.

"He's not here," Hermione said tearfully. "He even cleaned up the camp site like we normally do when we leave."

"Well, he won't get very far without the tent," Ron sneered scornfully. "Where the hell would he have gone?"

"I've been thinking about that," Hermione stated. "He wanted to go to Godric's Hollow. Do you think he may have gone there?"

Ron shrugged as he grabbed a sandwich from Agatha's hamper. "Maybe. Should we wait here tonight? Maybe he'll come back here. I guess we're lucky he didn't take the tent. It seems he took everything else," Ron said heatedly.

Hermione looked up, startled. "What do you mean he took everything else? He took the Horcrux and his notes." Reaching into her back pocket, she pulled out her beaded bag. "I have everything else. I don't even think he has a change of clothes, so I hope he does come back here tonight."

Ron deflated slightly as he listened to Hermione. He started pacing the floor, the guilt he'd hidden under his anger bubbling to the surface. "So we left him in a tent in the rain with nothing?"

Hermione nodded with tears in her eyes. "I didn't mean to leave him. I just wanted to stop you. It didn't seem like a big deal to stay the night with Agatha."

"It's not your fault, Hermione," Ron said softly. "You have always been a good friend to Harry. I'm the one that lets my temper get the better of me. It's just he always seems to have everything. He has money. He doesn't have to get second hand robes and books. He has the best racing broom in the world and a cool owl. He even kissed a girl before I did." Ron took a deep breath. "I keep forgetting that all of that comes with a price. When Dementors get close to me, I feel bad, but I don't have to listen to You-Know-Who killing my mother. I didn't get to compete in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, but I didn't get kidnapped and forced to duel You-Know-Who."

"It's not your fault, Ron. Harry doesn't make a big deal over that sort of thing. It's easy to forget about what he's been through because he doesn't make a big deal over it. Ron, can't you see? He is jealous of you. You have a family that loves you. That's all he ever wanted," Hermione said with tears streaming down her face. "Ron, I promise, we will find Harry," She embraced Ron.

They stayed in that embrace for a while. Hermione pulled away. "We'll stay here tonight in case he shows up. If he doesn't show up, tomorrow we will head to Godric's Hollow. I'm sure he'll be there."

* * *

Harry woke the next morning, feeling even worse than the night before. His throat felt sore and scratchy and he couldn't stop coughing. He jumped into the shower; the steam helped him feel a little bit better. He found a half used box of cold medicine under the sink and quickly swallowed two of the pills. Walking back to his room, he eyed the same old clothes with disgust. He really didn't want to keep rewashing the same clothes.

Going into Dudley's room, he found a few old t-shirts and a couple pair of old jeans. Harry scooped them up and brought them back to his room. Getting dressed, he hurried down to the kitchen and had a breakfast of tea and tinned peaches.

After his breakfast, Harry grabbed the money he'd found the night before and slipping on his Invisibility Cloak, headed out for downtown Little Whinging. As he'd often done the shopping for his aunt, he headed for the stores where he knew his money would go the furthest.

Stepping into an alleyway near the store, he pulled off his cloak and stuffed it into his pocket. Smoothing out his hair to ensure his scar was covered, he entered into the store. He relaxed slightly in the familiar environment and even nodded to a few people that looked familiar. Hurrying through the store, he picked up some tea, eggs, milk, butter, bread, and jam. He hesitated for a moment before added a pack of bacon to his basket. He was thankful that Aunt Petunia tended to overstock on some items so he didn't need to spend some of his meager money on toiletries and cleaning supplies.

He left the store after paying for his food and was heading down the street when he saw them. It was a father and daughter who had set up a little table near the store entrance. A hand printed sign read – "Kittens free to good home."

Harry felt drawn to the table for some reason. He slowly approached and saw five kittens playing in the cardboard box.

Seeing Harry's interest, the father said, "You looking for a kitten, mate? These little blokes are six weeks old. They've had their shots and been spayed or neutered."

Harry smiled in spite of himself at the antics of the kittens. A small gray kitten caught his eye. "Why are you getting rid of them?"

"My daddy got a new job and we have to move," the little girl said, looking a bit sad.

The father nodded. "I'm moving to Manchester and we really can't take all these little guys with us."

Harry reached out and petted the little gray kitten. "He's really cute."

The little girl laughed. "That's a girl, silly."

Harry laughed. "Sorry. She's really cute." He looked at the little girl. "Did you name them yet?"

"We gave them names, but figured whoever got them would want to give them new names," the father replied.

"They're free?" Harry clarified.

"Yes, we just want them to go to a good home," the man answered. "Would you like that one?"

Harry lifted the little gray kitten. It batted playfully at his hand. He argued with himself for a moment. He was on the run, the most wanted wizard in the UK. He really didn't need more responsibility. On the other hand, she could be a companion for him. He couldn't really explain it, but something about the kitten drew him in. Plus Ginny would love the kitten. That thought tipped the scale. "Yeah, she's too cute to resist."

"Good," the little girl said. "She seems to like you."

After purchasing some kitten food, Harry and his new pet headed home. Once he had put his food away and cast a Cooling Charm on the cold food, Harry set out some food and water for his kitten. Reaching into the cabinet, Harry smiled as he thought how upset his aunt would be about a kitten eating out of her dishes.

"So," Harry said to the kitten, "you need a name." He picked her up and looked her over carefully. A thought crossed his mind. "You aren't an Animagus, are you?"

Remembering the spell Sirius and Remus had used in the Shrieking Shack to force Peter Pettigrew to reveal himself, Harry cast the spell on his new pet. A blue-white light flashed from his wand, causing the kitten to stop moving for a moment. The little kitten froze for a moment, but then let out a loud, "Meow!"

Harry laughed. "Okay, sorry. I had to check."

He nuzzled the soft fur of the kitten and laughed when she batted his face. "You look like a Sparkle. What do you think of that name, girl? Sparkle?"

Sparkle meowed softly. Setting her down to let her explore her new home, Harry headed up to his room. He had done quite a bit of thinking since his friends left. He was hurt, upset, and angry at both the fact that they'd left and the things that they'd said, but at the same time they were right in that what they had been doing wasn't working. He resolved to take a week or two off to regroup and come up with a new plan.

Walking over to the stack of books he'd left behind, he sorted through them, taking a stack back to his desk that included _The Standard Book of Spells – Grades 5 and 6, Intermediate Transfiguration, Guide to Advanced Transfiguration_, and _Achievement in Charming_. Feeling a bit rebellious, Harry brought his schoolbooks down to the kitchen table.

Flipping through the books, he made a list of what he most likely needed to know. Harry realized now that depending on Hermione to know or remember spells or magic was not the best plan. He knew he had never exactly tried his hardest in school. That was something that was ingrained in him from primary school. He would get in trouble if he did better in school than Dudley, so he quickly learned to deliberately do poorly in school. He unfortunately carried that habit on to Hogwarts. He didn't try to do poorly, but he didn't do his best.

Looking through his books, he was pleased to see that he did remember quite a bit. His offensive and defensive spells were good. He decided to concentrate on Transfiguration, magical healing, any spells that might help him disguise himself, as well as a few cooking and cleaning spells. That way he might be able to last a bit longer on his own.

* * *

It was mid-morning by the time Ron and Hermione decided to break camp.

"Ron, maybe we should stay just a little bit longer," Hermione said as they packed up the last of their supplies.

"And do what, Hermione?" Ron asked. "If he were going to come back, don't you think he would have come back last night? We can't just stay here and wait for him to come back. I'm sure he's at Godric's Hollow. That and Hogwarts were the two places he talked about and he can't exactly show up at Hogwarts."

Hermione sighed. "I know you're right, but I…I just keep hoping he'll show up."

"He won't, Hermione. Let's just go," Ron said a bit impatiently. He knew that Harry would not come back here. Ron just wanted to find him and fix this.

Hermione stowed the last of their gear in her bag and the two of them Apparated to the outskirts of Godric's Hollow. Before they entered the town proper, they took Polyjuice Potion to disguise themselves as a young Muggle couple. They appeared to be in their mid-twenties.

Ron shuddered as the potion took effect. No matter how many times he'd taken it, he still hadn't gotten used to the feeling of transforming into someone else. Looking over at Hermione, he said, "Let's go."

The pair didn't talk much as they headed into the town centre. Hermione spotted the church just off the town square. She tapped Ron on the arm. "Look, there's a graveyard behind the church. Let's go see what we can find."

Ron didn't like the idea of wandering through a graveyard, but gave in with ill grace. "Fine, but we aren't staying long."

The bickering pair walked past the war obelisk in the centre of the town square without giving it a second glance. Hermione led the way through the gate into the graveyard beyond. They fell silent as they entered the graveyard.

They found the grave of Professor Dumbledore's sister Ariana. Ron stood a few steps back as Hermione paid her respects to the fallen Headmaster's sister. A few rows away, Hermione found the graves they'd been looking for – the Potters.

"Ron!"

He hurried to her side and followed her gaze to the white marble gravestones in front of them.

**JAMES POTTER LILY POTTER**

BORN 27 MARCH 1960 BORN 30 JANUARY 1960

DIED 31 OCTOBER 1981 DIED 31 OCTOBER 1981

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. *

Hermione felt tears well up in her eyes as she stood at the graves of her best friend's parents. Blindly she reached out for Ron's hand, needing his support at the moment. Ron gripped her hand tightly as he too stared at the graves. It really hit him, almost as if for the first time, that Harry's parents were dead. They had given their lives for him. He had always known Harry's parents died, but standing in the cold churchyard, he felt as though he were finding out for the first time. Harry was an orphan.

The two stood at the gravesite for a time until Hermione, glancing around, drew her wand and conjured a small wreath of flowers that she then placed over the grave. She knelt down and touched each name briefly before standing and wiping her eyes.

"Come on," she said. "I don't think he's been here, but let's see if we can find their house."

Ron nodded and the two of them started across the town square. There was a pub and few shops around the square that seemed to be doing a steady business. The pub looked warm and inviting. It was nice to see people going about their everyday lives. The late autumn morning was cold and crisp. A breeze had sprung up, blowing around some of the fallen leaves. Ron pulled his jacket around him a little tighter. He glanced up at the war memorial in front of them and stopped in shock as the memorial shifted to a statue of a young family. The father with his messy hair and glasses, the mother with her long hair and pretty face, and on her lap, she held a smiling baby boy.

Hermione turned to see why Ron stopped. She gasped as she took in the statue, tears springing to her eyes once again.

The couple stood there staring at the statue for a few moments. Hermione didn't hear the older man approach until he was right next to her.

"Very sad, isn't it?" he said quietly.

Hermione turned to him, startled. She gripped the handle of her wand tightly under her cloak. "P-pardon?"

The older man smiled. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I noticed the pair of you staring at the statue. I can always tell when people are seeing it for the first time."

Relaxing slightly, Hermione smiled. "I didn't expect to see it."

The man nodded. "We thought it was only appropriate to do something to honour them."

"We?" Ron said, entering the conversation for the first time.

"The local Magical community," he replied. "I'm sorry. Where are my manners? I am Miles Kirkland. My family has lived here for generations."

Hermione took his proffered hand. "I am Lily Prewett and this is my cousin, Don."

"Nice to meet you," Miles replied.

"When was this done?" Hermione asked, gesturing towards the statue.

Miles sighed. "Not long after they died. Oh, that was a horrible night."

"Were you here that night?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Oh, yes. There was such an explosion of Magic. It seemed to explode out of the house. Then it was absolutely quiet," Miles said as he focused on the past. "It took some time for anyone to approach the house. The waves of Magic pouring out of it were so powerful that it was at least an hour before anyone could get near the house to see what had happened. When the Magic settled, it was a horrible sight. The top corner of the house was blown off and the door blown in. A group of us were standing outside the gate when that big bloke arrived."

"Big bloke?" Ron asked.

"From the school, I can't remember his name," Miles responded.

"Hagrid?" Hermione offered.

"Hagrid, yes, that's it. Hagrid arrived just as the Muggles could start to see the cottage. Suddenly you could hear a baby cry. Hagrid took off into the house and came back a few moments later with the baby. Poor little mite, he was so small and his face was covered with blood." Miles shook his head sadly at his memories.

"I think what affected me the most was the young bloke that showed up a few minutes later. He pulled up on that big motorbike of his and ran into the house. I can still hear him yelling for James and Lily. He ran over to Hagrid and I guess they were talking about the baby. Hagrid didn't want to give the baby to him, but he let the bloke clean the blood off Harry's face. He kissed Harry on the cheek and when Hagrid and Harry took off, he just fell to his knees sobbing. I have never seen such grief."

Hermione was once again holding Ron's hand as she listened to Miles's story. She cleared the lump out of her throat and asked, "Did you ever see them around before they died?"

Miles smiled. "All the time. They were such a lovely young couple, so in love. That little boy was so cute and they obviously thought the world of him. I remember James bringing little Harry to the park with his dog."

"Dog?" Hermione repeated faintly.

Laughing, Miles said, "Yes, they had a big, black dog. Oh, he gave me a fright when I first saw him. I thought he was the Grim. James laughed at me and told me it was just his pet dog. Harry loved that dog."

"Miles! Leave that nice young couple alone!"

The three of them turned to see an older woman approaching them. "I'm sorry," she said. "He tends to get a bit lost in his stories sometimes."

"They asked," Miles said defensively.

"We did," Hermione hastened to assure the older lady.

"Okay," she replied before turning to Miles. "Come along, it's lunch time."

Rolling his eyes at her retreating back, Miles took his leave of the young couple. Before he left the square, he pointed down the lane. "If you're interested, the cottage is down the end of the lane."

"It's always been just a story to me," Hermione murmured softly as she and Ron headed down the lane.

"I know," Ron answered. "I've heard that story since I was a baby, but it was always about him defeating You-Know-Who. I never really thought about…Harry being left in that house with his dead parents."

"Poor Sirius," Hermione said.

She fell silent as they approached the end of the lane. The last house was a two story house. Like the houses on either side, there was ivy growing up the side of the house. There the similarities ended. The cottage was set amidst a sea of waist high grass. Scattered among the grass was dark blocks of rubble. The source of the rubble was apparent when looking at the house; the top right side of the house had been blown away.

"Bloody hell," Ron whispered. "How did anyone get out of there alive?"

He automatically reached for the gate. As soon as he touched the gate, a sign rose from the mass of grass, weeds, and wildflowers that had long since taken over the yard. The sign rose to waist height and gold letters appeared on the wooden sign:

On this spot, on the night of 31 October 1981,

Lily and James Potter lost their lives.

their only son, Harry, remains the only wizard

ever to have survived the Killing Curse.

This house, invisible to Muggles, has been left

in its ruined state as a monument to the Potters

and as a reminder of the violence

that tore apart their family.*

All around the neatly lettered sign, visitors to the site had left words of encouragement to Harry. Some had just left their initials; other had left messages. Hermione made an angry sound.

"They shouldn't have written on the sign!"

"They're just trying to support Harry," Ron replied soothingly. He brightened suddenly. "Hermione, look at this."

Ron drew his wand. "_Accio Snitch_!"

A small stuffed Snitch flew out from the rubble into Ron's hand. It was stained and dirty after sixteen years of exposure to the elements. The small golden wings had long since faded to pale yellow.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded. "You can't just take things from the house."

"It's been in that yard for sixteen years. I don't think anyone will miss it," Ron replied. "I'll get Mum to clean it up for Harry."

Early evening, Ron and Hermione made their way to the pub on the town square. Ron sighed as he slid into the corner booth.

"This is nice," he said.

"Evening, loves," the waitress said as she handed them a pair of menus. "Can I help you?"

"Can we get two cokes while we look at the menu?" Hermione asked.

As the waitress moved away, Hermione leaned over the table. "Don't forget, we don't have that much extra money."

"I know Hermione. You've only reminded me a million times today. There's only two of us now. We can afford one meal out," Ron said.

Hermione's eyes narrowed at the mention of there only being two of them, but opened her menu. After placing an order of fish and chips for Hermione and steak and kidney pie for Ron, Hermione subtly waved her wand. "_Muffliato_."

"So he obviously hasn't been here yet," Hermione said.

Ron shrugged. "So what do you want to do?"

Hermione took a sip of her coke before answering anxiously, "I think we should stay close to here for a few days. He's bound to show here. He's been talking about coming here since June."

* * *

Hermione sat at the entrance to the tent, staring anxiously out into a small copse of barren trees. They were staying at the woods less than a kilometer from Godric's Hollow. It was their fourth day in the vicinity of Godric's Hollow and there had been no sign of Harry. Ron was becoming glum and sarcastic again. They had eaten fairly well during the past week, but it still wasn't what Ron was used to and his mood reflected that fact.

She ran through their options. She had no idea where Harry may have gone. They had discussed the possibility of Grimmauld Place, but didn't want to risk running into whatever traps the Death Eaters may have left behind. They didn't see any way he could have gone to Hogwarts, the only other place he had mentioned. Could he have gone to the Burrow? Could he have sought out Remus?

"What's wrong with you?" Ron asked as he exited the tent.

"I'm trying to figure out what we should do next. I'm so worried about Harry. I don't know where he is or where he may have gone."

Ron rolled his eyes. "He's the one that made the decision to leave, Hermione."

"No, Ronald. We left. We left him alone in the rain in the middle of nowhere with no supplies and no one to watch his back," Hermione yelled back, her voice rising with each word.

"So are you saying this is my fault?" Ron shot back. "I left and poor Harry's out in the big bad world by himself."

"Yes! Okay, yes this is your fault!" Hermione yelled. "We broke our promise and he's by himself! I don't know how to fix this."

Ron threw his cup of tea to the ground. "I'm sick of this! I'm sick of being cold and tired and hungry. I'm sick of everything being my fault and I'm sick of you!"

He stood up. "I'm going to my brother's house. You can do what you want."

Hermione watched in tears as Ron Disapparated away.

* * *

* Quoted from _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows _by J.K. Rowling. Page 328 and 332-333 of the American edition


	4. Chapter 3 Return to the Burrow

"You're clear," Neville whispered.

Ginny silently pulled her wand and wrote on the wall – _Harry Potter lives!_

The two of them had snuck down to the dungeons to release the fourth year Hufflepuff in detention. After seeing the scared girl back to her common room, Neville and Ginny left several messages on the walls before creeping silently back to the Gryffindor common room. Seamus was waiting for them.

"It's about time! I was starting to get worried about you," he exclaimed as they made their way over to the group sitting by the fireplace.

Parvati Patil looked up as they approached. Ginny gasped. "What happened?"

One side of Parvati's beautiful face was covered with a large purplish bruise. She winced. "I turned down Zabini's advances. He got a bit upset and then Carrow backhanded me for refusing a Pureblood."

Ginny ran up to her dorm room and came back with a vial of pain reliever. "Here, you look like you could use this."

Parvati downed it gratefully. Ginny looked around the common room. "Anyone else hurt?"

Seamus shook his head. "I don't think so. I think everyone is just hungry."

Ginny's stomach chose that moment to growl and she blushed as the others laughed. Someone had let a Niffler into Alecto's office. In retaliation, she had banned all houses except Slytherin from dinner.

Ginny sank down onto the couch next to Demelza. "I wish we could sneak down to the kitchens for food."

"I know," Seamus said. "I'm so hungry."

Ginny sat up and looked around at her friends.

"Neville, can we go up to your room?" she asked, gesturing at the group sitting by the fire.

Neville looked at her curiously. "Of course."

They all crowded into the seventh year boys dorm. Seamus and Neville were each on their own bed. Lavender and Parvati sat on the absent Dean's bed. Ginny and Demelza sat on Harry's bed. Once everyone sat down, Ginny looked around at the group. "Do you promise you won't tell anyone about what I'm about to do?"

Making eye contact with all of them, she secured their agreement to be silent. Taking a deep breath, Ginny called out, "Kreacher!"

A soft pop sounded in the silent dorm room. Kreacher bowed to Ginny. "Yes, Mistress Ginny. How can I serve you?"

Ginny hopped off the bed and knelt by the elf, ignoring the astonished gasps from her friends. "Can you bring some food and some pitchers of pumpkin juice up here without getting into trouble?"

"Professor Carrow demanded we throw out all of the food, but Kreacher does not work for Professor Carrow or for Hogwarts. Kreacher works for Master Harry and Master Harry wants me to help Mistress Ginny. I will be right back." Kreacher popped out of the room.

"What the bleeding hell was that, Ginny?" Seamus asked. "Master Harry. Is that Harry's elf?"

Ginny nodded. "That's why no one can say anything. If they knew that Harry's house elf was here, they would use that against him."

Kreacher popped back into the dorm room with several trays laden with food. "Is this enough, Mistress Ginny?"

"Thank you, Kreacher," Ginny said with a smile. She motioned the small elf over to one side of the room. "Have you heard from Harry?" she whispered.

"No, Mistress Ginny. Master Harry and his friends left for the Ministry one day, but they did not come back. Instead the bad men came. That is when Kreacher came to Hogwarts. Master wanted me to watch over Mistress Ginny, so I came where Mistress Ginny is," Kreacher replied anxiously.

"You did well, Kreacher," Ginny said with a sad smile. "I was just hoping you'd seen him."

Ginny looked over at the group now eating happily. "Kreacher, can you deliver food to the common room and the common rooms of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw without any trouble?"

Kreacher brightened up. "Yes, Mistress Ginny. Kreacher will be happy to feed the other students."

"Thank you, Kreacher. I know Harry would want you to help," Ginny said with a smile.

As Kreacher left, Ginny joined her friends. Reaching into the pile, Ginny grabbed a sandwich and a glass of pumpkin juice.

"Ginny, this is great," Neville said after he finished his dinner. "I never knew that Harry had a house elf."

"He inherited him from his godfather," Ginny explained. "I told him to take some food to common room and the other houses as well."

Parvati looked at Ginny with interest. "So does that you mean that you and Harry aren't really broken up?"

Ginny blushed. "We are for now. It would be too dangerous if people thought we were together. He sent Kreacher to me on my birthday with my present and told me that if I needed anything, I could call for Kreacher and he would help me."

"He has his house elf answering to you?" Neville said in surprise. "Do you know what that usually means?"

"N-no, not really." Ginny looked up in surprise. "I've never been around house elves before."

"Usually house elves will answer to only their family or those they sense may become part of their family. It's tantamount to announcing that you are engaged," Neville explained.

Ginny's eyes widened. "Really? I…I don't think Harry would know that. He just wanted Kreacher to look out for me."

"So what did he send you for your birthday? Your bracelet?" Demelza asked with a smile.

Smiling, Ginny nodded as she fingered her bracelet. She hadn't taken it off since she'd gotten it.

"Wow." Lavender looked over at her bracelet. "Ginny, this is real. These are real rubies and diamonds. This has got to be worth probably 500 galleons."

"Really?" Ginny said in astonishment. "He just told me it was his mother's bracelet. I haven't taken it off since he gave it to me."

* * *

Harry fixed himself a jam sandwich and a pot of tea to go eat while reviewing his books. His days had fallen into an easy routine. He would read in the mornings and spend the afternoon practicing spells. To his surprise, after just a few weeks, he could feel the difference in his spell casting.

"Meow."

Harry looked down to see Sparkle sitting next to her food dish. "Hey, girl. Here's some more food. I guess I'm going to have to go shopping again soon."

Sitting back down at the table, Harry reviewed his checklist. The one thing he hadn't found out much about was magical healing. He frowned as he contemplated his options. He couldn't exactly go to Diagon Alley and purchase a book.

"That's it," he said. "Sparkle, do you want to go to the library with me? We'll go shopping afterwards."

He had discovered a series of spells that allowed him to disguise Sparkle so the Muggles couldn't see her, but at the same time kept her within a few feet of him. Harry had tested out the spells by taking Sparkle to the park in the evening.

After making quick work of his meager sandwich, Harry put Sparkle in one of Dudley's old school bags and the two of them headed out. Harry's first stop was the public library. Aunt Petunia had brought him and Dudley to story time there when he was younger. He had enjoyed listening to the stories and seeing other children. That came to an abrupt end when the librarian wanted to read the _Wizard of Oz._ Aunt Petunia pulled them from story time and never brought them back to the library.

Harry quietly entered the library and took his time looking around. He had just found the reference section when he heard a voice behind him.

"Can I help you, young man?"

Turning, Harry saw a rather stern looking older lady. She looked him over taking in his over large clothes and rather emaciated appearance. She was sure she had never seen him before.

"Yes, ma'am. I was looking for some information on first aid," Harry replied.

"First aid?"

"Yes, ma'am. I've recently moved out on my own and realized that I don't know anything about first aid," Harry lied easily.

The librarian searched his face for a moment before coming to a decision. There was something about him that brought out her motherly instincts. "Through here, young man."

She showed him to a table and provided him with several books on first aid. When she checked on him twenty minutes later, she was surprised to find him taking notes in a small notebook.

Harry glanced around at Sparkle who had run around the stacks when they first arrived, but had settled down on the table next to Dudley's school bag. He smiled at the kitten and reached out to pet her. "This is better than sitting at home, right? It's warmer, too."

"Excuse me, young man."

Harry looked up to find the older librarian watching him. "Yes, ma'am. My name is Harry."

She smiled. "Harry, my name is Jane. Did you realize we have tea and biscuits set up in the back room? You can't bring any food or tea back in the stacks, but we have a nice reading area where you can eat and read if you would like."

"Really? Thanks, that would be great," Harry replied with a smile.

"Harry, how long have you lived here?" Jane asked curiously. "I don't think I've ever seen you here before. I'm sure I would remember those eyes."

Blushing, Harry laughed. "I've lived in Little Whinging since I was a baby, but my aunt didn't like us coming to the library."

Harry chatted with Jane while he got his plate of biscuits. Looking around the back room, Harry was amazed at the changes that had taken place since he'd last been to the library. They had turned the back room into a nice reading area with scattered chairs and low set tables throughout the room. Harry could see the children's room on the other side with its bright colors and reading pit.

Harry chose to sit in a low set armchair that was near the window. The library was on the main street in Little Whinging. From his spot, he could see the main street with its shops. He sighed as he sipped his tea. He had never really imagined he would be back in Little Whinging. Looking around the room, he caught sight of a book sitting out on one of the tables. The title was in runes. His heart beating a little faster, Harry walked over and picked up the book. Flipping through it, he could see that the whole book was written in runes. At least he was pretty sure they were runes. He had never taken the class, but both Hermione and Ginny took Ancient Runes and he had seen their books. On the inside back cover was a sticker that read:

_The London Library – Magical Collection  
14 St James's Square  
London  
SW1Y 4LG_

Harry's head was spinning. There was a magical collection at the London Library? How come he had never heard of this before? How come Hermione had never mentioned it before? It was times like this that he hated being raised in the Muggle world.

Jane noticed his interest in the book. She took a closer look. "Is that another Egyptian book? We get those in here from time to time. We're supposed to ship them back to the main branch in London."

'There must be a Confundus Charm on the book,' Harry thought. Handing the book over to Jane, Harry made his way back to his table. He finished reading the first aid book so as to not make Jane suspicious, but after another thirty minutes had passed, Harry scooped up Sparkle and put her back in his bag. He quickly ran into the store for more kitten food, bread and milk before heading home.

He let Sparkle out of the bag and hurried over to his aunt's desk. There on the corner where she always kept it was the timetable to the trains to London. He didn't feel comfortable Apparating to such a big city without really knowing where he was going so he planned to take the train to London. He searched the desk and with a cry of triumph, came up with his uncle's commuter rail card.

"Sparkle, we're going to London tomorrow," Harry said with a laugh.

* * *

Hermione slowly packed everything back into her beaded bag. She was tired of being the responsible and mature one. She was tired of sleeping in a tent and worrying over where her next meal was coming from. With a sigh, she turned and Apparated to the Burrow.

She almost cried when she saw the familiar house come into view. She slowly made her way to the house. She knocked on the door and within a few minutes she heard Mrs. Weasley's voice.

"Mrs. Weasley, it's me, Hermione. I've been coming to stay with you every summer since the summer before my fourth year when we went to the Quidditch World Cup. I was at Bill's wedding this summer. I was wearing a lilac dress and your Aunt Muriel said I had bad posture and skinny ankles," Hermione said in a rush, adding everything she thought might prove her identity.

"Oh, Hermione. Are the boys with you?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"No, they are okay, but we got separated," Hermione replied. "Mrs. Weasley, the summer before my third year, where did we stay the night before leaving for school? The morning we left for school, you were telling me and Ginny a story about your time in school. What was it about?"

Mrs. Weasley laughed softly. "We all stayed at the Leaky Cauldron. I was telling you girls about a love potion I'd tried to make."

Opening the door, Mrs. Weasley pulled Hermione into an embrace. At a noise behind them, the two witches pulled apart.

"Hermione?" Fred hugged her, but at the same time looked around behind her.

Hermione sank down at the kitchen table while Mrs. Weasley bustled around, preparing tea which she set in front of Hermione. With a wave of her wand, Mrs. Weasley summoned a basket of scones with dishes of butter and jam.

"So what happened, dear? Where are the boys? Is everyone okay?" Mrs. Weasley asked as Hermione prepared a plate.

Taking her time in preparing her scone, Hermione tried to decide what to tell them. As angry as she was with Ron, she didn't want his family to think badly of him.

"Ron decided to go to Bill's house. W-we got into an argument this morning," Hermione said. "W-we…it's been a rough couple of months. We've been living in the tent and tempers have…I think he got jealous and…he thought Ron and I were…"

Hermione burst into tears at this point. Mrs. Weasley gathered her into a warm embrace and let her cry. When Hermione calmed down, Mrs. Weasley pressed a cup of tea laced with Calming Draught on her.

After helping Hermione upstairs to Ginny's room, Mrs. Weasley headed for the Floo.

"Bill!"

Bill answered his Floo quickly.

"Mum. Can I come over?"

Within moments, Bill arrived in his mother's kitchen. He kissed her on the cheek and joined his mother and brother at the kitchen table.

"What in Merlin's name is going on?" Bill said to his mother.

"I take it Ron and Harry showed up at your house this morning," Mrs. Weasley said.

Bill nodded distractedly, not really hearing the whole question. "Ron wouldn't really say anything."

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Hermione showed up very upset. She said something about a fight. It sounded to me as though Harry got upset and jealous that Ron and Hermione were growing closer."

"It did sound that way," Fred said quietly.

"What does that mean?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Well, I've never seen any indication that Harry ever thought of Hermione like that," Fred replied.

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "They were all alone in a tent alone for months at a time. It may have just been the close quarters, or maybe Harry is just really good at hiding his feelings."

"I don't know Harry very well, but I've never seen him with a girl," Bill said. "Has he ever even had a girlfriend?"

"Yeah, he dated Cho Chang two years ago," Fred said. "I haven't heard anything about him dating anyone since then."

Looking at his older brother, Fred asked, "What did Harry say?"

"Harry?" Bill repeated. "I haven't seen Harry. I thought he was here."

"No," Mrs. Weasley said with alarm. "I thought he was with Ron."

She looked up at the ceiling. "I'm sure that Hermione is asleep now. Bill, why don't you go ask Ron if he knows where Harry is?"

* * *

As much as Harry wanted to head right for London the next day, he realized that he needed to plan ahead.

"I need to be more careful this time, Sparkle," he said to his feline companion that night. "I don't really know anything about the library or the people who work there. I'd hate to get caught or bring someone back here."

Harry spent the evening and the next day, brushing up on his glamour charms. Late the next afternoon, he headed back to his local library. Jane was working once again and happy to help him get online. She even showed him how to conduct basic searches.

He discovered that the London Library was only open to members, but he managed to find a picture of what the membership cards looked like online. Grabbing a piece of paper, Harry started jotting down a plan.

As he walked back to his relatives' house, the early December wind cut through his thin jeans and jumper. He wished once again that Hermione had at least left his clothes behind.

It had started snowing the next morning when Harry and Sparkle boarded the train at the Little Whinging station. Harry had pulled on one of his cousin's ball caps, but as his glamour charms didn't hold for very long, he had decided to wait until he got to the library to cast one.

Harry entered St. James Square and gazed up at the three story building. It was an elegant building, the type of building in which Harry never really felt he belonged. Taking a deep breath, Harry pulled his fake membership card from his bag. After petting Sparkle, he silently cast a Disillusionment Spell on both the kitten and the bag.

Entering the building, Harry was stopped at the front desk.

"May I see your membership card, sir?" asked the elegant young lady behind the desk. Her tone of voice left no doubt that she thought that Harry didn't have a membership card. Harry nervously handed over his card. After scrutinizing the card carefully, the girl regretfully let him into the library.

Harry looked around the building. There was a red carpeted staircase leading up to the next floor. Walking around the main reading room, Harry passed several people sitting at the various tables or walking in the stacks. He circled the large open room twice, but did not detect any Magical signature. At the back of the library, he saw another staircase. This was much less ornate than the front staircase and it led downstairs.

Glancing around, Harry saw that no one was paying any attention to him. Pulling his ball cap down over his forehead, Harry headed down the stairs. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he could feel the magic emanating from the western side of the basement. He took a deep breath and made his way toward what he assumed was the Magical Library.

He paused in front of a solid appearing brick wall. Remembering what he'd read over the past weeks, Harry cast a sensing spell at the wall. To his astonishment, it worked. A door appeared in the centre of the wall.


	5. Chapter 4 The Magical Library

Harry cautiously opened the door. His jaw dropped when he saw the size of the room. It was easily as big as the rest of the library, but all in one room. He could see several desks grouped in one corner and a reading area with chairs and sofas grouped around low tables. Against the farthest wall was a large reference desk. Harry caught sight of two witches in dark blue robes behind the desk. The rest of the room was dominated by rows of bookshelves.

Ducking behind one of the shelves, Harry peered around the room. There were easily more than two dozen patrons of the Magical Library. He was surprised at the variety of people. Some appeared to be just a few years out of Hogwarts, while others were closer to Mr. Weasley's age. The younger patrons were dressed in jeans and jumpers whereas the older patrons were dressed in a mixture of Muggle clothing and traditional robes.

A book flying past his hiding spot made him straighten up. A younger witch with long dark hair wearing blue robes appeared to be directing a stack of books back to their spot on the shelves.

Taking a deep breath, Harry cautiously approached her after ensuring his glamour charms were firmly in place. "Excuse me, ma'am."

She turned to face him and his jaw dropped in shock. Before he could say anything, she gasped. "Harry?"

Harry paled as he stared at his former teammate Alicia Spinnet. She drew closer to him, searching his face. Alicia pulled him over to one of the secluded desks hidden from the main reading room by the rows of bookshelves.

Reaching out, she touched his arm. "Harry, that is you, right?"

"How did you recognize me?" he whispered.

Alicia smiled. "Your charms are in place, but your eyes are a dead giveaway. Did you try changing their colour?"

Harry nodded. "They are supposed to be blue."

"Often if a person has a very distinctive feature, it will be hard to disguise," Alicia explained quietly.

Sitting down at the desk, Harry opened his pack and let Sparkle out. With a wave of his wand he cast a privacy charm. Alicia looked around before conjuring up a chair and sitting down next to him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "You do realize that there is a price on your head, right?"

Harry fully intended to just make up some excuse, but as he looked at his friend and former teammate, his story came tumbling out. "Professor Dumbledore left me with a task to do. Something that will make it easier to kill -"

"Shh!" Alicia broke in. "There is a Taboo on You-Know-Who's name. If you say it, they can track you. They've caught several people that way."

A look of surprise crossed his face. "Merlin, that… I'm glad you told me, Alicia. I usually use his name."

"I think that's the point. It is the strong wizards and witches that oppose him that use his name," Alicia replied. "So you were looking for an easier way to kill him."

"Yes." Harry nodded. "Ron and Hermione insisted on coming with me. We've been staying in a tent, changing places every night. We haven't had all that much to eat and while we've had some early success, we didn't have a good lead. One night, we…we overheard a group talking about what was going on at Hogwarts. Ginny, Neville, and Luna tried to steal the Sword of Gryffindor, I think for me. I was so…energized by that, but Ron…he was so angry. He was angry that he thought I didn't care if his sister got hurt and he was angry that I didn't have a plan and we were cold and hungry. Hermione…she tried to calm him down. She cast a Shield Charm between the two of us. I didn't want to hurt him, but I was so angry at him. I finally yelled at him to get out."

Harry paused, finding the story more difficult to tell than he anticipated. "He stormed out of the tent and she ran after him. They never came back. I searched for them, made myself sick by searching in the rain. By the noon the next day, I knew I had to leave. Hermione had all of the supplies. I didn't have anything. No food, no money, no potions, not even a change of clothes. I…I realized that I needed to rethink my whole plan. I've been staying someplace safe. I also realized that I've been relying on my friends too much. I didn't bother to learn some things because I knew Hermione would be there. I've focused so much on Defence that I haven't learned basic survival skills."

He looked over at Alicia. "I've spent the past few weeks relearning some basic spells. The one thing I didn't have any information on was Healing Charms. I went to my local library to find books on first aid. I accidentally found a book that belonged here. I didn't know there was a Magical Library."

Alicia listened to him with mounting anger. She had known Harry for many years and had always liked him. Like most of the members of Gryffindor, she had witnessed many fights between Ron and Hermione. She could easily see one of their fights getting out of control, but to abandon Harry… That was something she could not understand.

"So what do you need?" Alicia asked. "Do you have food, money?"

Harry laughed. "I…the place I'm staying, it…I found a bit of money and I have some food. I'm managing okay. It isn't the best place. It's cold, but it is shelter and I've found some tinned food. I got Sparkle my first week on my own so I have company. She's been great. My owl, Hedwig…" Harry swallowed thickly. He still hated thinking about Hedwig's death. "She was killed early in the summer and I've really missed her company. Sparkle isn't the same, but she's been great."

As he was talking, he reached out to pet Sparkle. He looked over at Alicia and she could see the determination shining in his eyes. She resolved to help him however she could. "So what were you looking for here?" she asked.

"I'm hoping for books on Healing and also if there is anything on Rowena Ravenclaw," he replied.

"Wait here," Alicia said. "I'll be right back."

Within ten minutes, Harry had already started taking notes from the stack of books Alicia had brought to him.

"Harry," Alicia whispered. "Do me a favour. Promise me you won't leave until I get back. I'll be gone about an hour."

Harry shifted in his chair nervously. "Okay, but Alicia, you can't tell anyone I'm here."

"Don't worry, I won't." Alicia hurried over to the main desk and after a whispered conversation with one of her co-workers, she left the library.

A little over an hour later, Harry was closing a biography on Rowena Ravenclaw when he caught sight of Alicia re-entering the library carrying a dark blue rucksack. She hung her cloak by the desk and after briefly speaking to the witch behind the desk, she approached Harry.

He smiled as she approached. "Hey, Alicia."

Setting the bag on the desk, Alicia sat down next to him. "Harry, I got a few things for you."

"Alicia, no. I didn't mean for you to do anything," Harry protested.

She put a calming hand on his arm. "I know you didn't. But I want to help, Harry. My brother and sister are both at Hogwarts. They should be worried about crushes and Quidditch and winning house points, not worried about the Death Eaters running the school."

"I know," Harry said softly. "My…my girlfriend is still there. I can tell you it scares the hell out of me. We…we broke up so that hopefully she won't be targeted because of me, but I really miss her."

Alicia nodded sympathetically. She leaned to whisper urgently. "Harry, I know you can do it. I know you can beat him."

She opened the rucksack. "I got you a few pair of jeans and t-shirts. The apothecary around the way sells a starter pack of healing potions – Pepper up Potion, Blood Replenishing, Cough Potion, and Bruise Paste. There's a collapsible cauldron at the bottom. They don't last long, but I figured they would do in a pinch. I added some biscuits and a box of tea bags. It's not much."

"No, Alicia. It is more than enough. Thank you. I promise, I will pay you back," Harry said as he eyed the full pack. The trust and belief she showed him warmed him to the core. He hadn't spoken to anyone in the Wizarding world outside of Ron and Hermione for almost four months. He hadn't realized how much their abandoning him had shaken him until he felt the level of belief Alicia had in him.

He gathered up his materials and scooped up Sparkle, putting them in his bag. Alicia handed him the bag she'd put together for him and gave him a hug. "Good luck, Harry."

"Thanks, Alicia." He paused for a minute as he looked down at her. "Do me a favour? Wait until next week and then just let the twins know you saw me. Ask them to let Remus know that I'm sorry and I'm okay."

"Of course." Alicia leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. Harry blushed and gave her a smile as he left.

* * *

Hermione stared at the ceiling of Ginny's room. She really didn't know what to do and she hated that feeling. She kept going over their last fight again and again in her mind, trying to see what else she could have done. She felt so guilty for agreeing to stay with Agatha. Why hadn't she sent him a Patronus letting him know they would be back?

In the past few weeks, she had overheard various members of the Order of the Phoenix talking about Harry. Some of them seemed to be blaming Harry for abandoning his task. She wanted to let them know that Harry wasn't to blame, but she also didn't want them to know that she and Ron had abandoned him. A knock on the door brought her out of her reverie.

"Come in."

To her surprise, it was Ron who opened the door. He had just moved back into the Burrow after spending a week at Shell Cottage with Bill and Fleur. She hadn't talked to him in private since that morning in Godric's Hollow. She quickly sat up on the camp bed on which she normally slept.

"Ron."

"Hermione." Ron awkwardly made his way into the bright room and sat down on Ginny's bed. He looked up at Hermione before he looked down at his hands. "I'm sorry for the way I've acted. I'm sorry for what I said to you."

"You keep saying you are sorry, but then you go and do something else hurtful," Hermione said softly.

Ron sighed. "I know. It's almost like I can hear myself being so horrible to you and I want to stop, but I can't stop the words in time."

Hermione looked over at the boy she'd had a crush on for years now. She knew he had a good heart and could be kind, loyal, and funny, but his temper and jealousy could easily get out of control.

Sighing, Hermione asked, "What are we going to do?"

"Do?" Ron repeated. "Why do we have to do anything?"

"Ronald, we don't know Harry's whereabouts. We are no closer to finding the Horcruxes. We need to talk to someone," Hermione replied heatedly.

Ron rolled his eyes and gave in with ill grace. "Okay, I do feel bad that he's out there by himself, but wasn't that his original plan – to go by himself?"

"Ron, stop it," Hermione said sharply. Taking a breath to calm herself, Hermione continued, "Who should we talk to?"

After considering the matter, Ron replied, "Why don't we talk to Bill and Remus? They are the least likely to make a fuss."

* * *

Harry looked around his childhood bedroom as he prepared to leave it for a second time. Surprisingly, he felt better this time. He felt more prepared and more focused. He was going to Godric's Hollow. He felt a strong need to reconnect with the place where this all began for him. He wanted to talk to Bathilda Bagshot and visit his parents' house.

While he was in the Magical Library, he had found a map of Godric's Hollow. He was pretty sure he would be able to find his parents' house, Bathilda Bagshot's house, as well as Professor Dumbledore's family home.

Gathering Sparkle in his arms, he Apparated to Godric's Hollow.


	6. Chapter 5 Godric's Hollow

Hermione hesitated before entering the sitting room. Mrs. Weasley was sitting in her chair by the fire, listening to the wireless and working on her knitting.

"Good afternoon, dear. Are you feeling better?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Oh, yes," Hermione replied. "I just had a headache."

Settling on the couch across from Mrs. Weasley, Hermione cradled her cup of tea in her hands. Gesturing to the knitting, Hermione asked, "What are you making?"

Lifting her knitting to show Hermione, Mrs. Weasley responded, "I'm making a blanket for the Lupins' baby. I decided to make it green and yellow as Tonks doesn't know if she is having a boy or girl. When my babies were being born, I got so used to making blue blankets. When Ginny was born, she had all blue for the first few months until I had time to make her some pink things." Laughing softly, Mrs. Weasley continued, "Of course, my baby girl doesn't like pink."

Hermione laughed. "No, she doesn't."

She watched Mrs. Weasley work before she asked, "When will Ginny get home?"

"Next week." Mrs. Weasley sighed. "I hate that she is there by herself. Her letters don't say anything and of course the letters I send don't say anything. The only thing they do is assure us the other is alive."

"I wish I could do that with my parents," Hermione said wistfully. "I've never spent a Christmas without some type of contact with them."

Mrs. Weasley sent a smile in Hermione's direction. "At least you know that they are safe in Australia. Can't you join them? I'm sure Kingsley or Remus could make you a Portkey. I've also heard that Gringotts is helping some people leave the country."

"I don't feel right leaving before…with everything that is going on," Hermione said softly.

A knock on the back door interrupted the two women. After greeting Remus and Bill, Ron joined them in the sitting room. He was surprised to see his mother still there. He opened his mouth before he realized he couldn't exactly ask his mother to leave.

He sat awkwardly on the couch next to Hermione. Remus sat in the chair across from Molly and Bill sat on the love seat across from Hermione and Ron.

Remus looked around at the group. "What is going on?"

"I think we may have given you the wrong impression about what happened," Hermione began carefully, avoiding eye contact with everyone. "We have been helping Harry with his mission that Professor Dumbledore left him. You know the rumors that the _Daily Prophet_ was printing last year, that Harry is the Chosen One?"

When everyone nodded, Hermione continued, "Well, he is the Chosen One. There was a prophecy given before Harry was born that basically says he is the one who can defeat You-Know-Know. Unfortunately, You-Know-Know is not entirely human at this point in time. He created …"

Hermione trailed off. She tried again to explain about the Horcruxes, but was unable to force the words out of her mouth. Ron, seeing her distress, jumped in.

"You-Know-Who created…"

Ron was unable to finish the sentence either. Realizing what was going on, Hermione let out a frustrated growl. "I can't tell you what we are doing. Harry must have put a jinx on the information so we can't tell anyone."

"Don't fight it," Bill said. "Harry or even Dumbledore may have put a jinx on anyone but Harry talking about your mission in any detail."

"We haven't pushed you, but can you tell us what happened?" Remus asked urgently.

Exchanging a glance with Ron, Hermione started the tale. "We've been travelling looking for the items we need to kill You-Know-Who. It started out well. We found the first thing we needed when we broke into the Ministry. B-but lately it hasn't been going that great. We've been living in a tent and moving almost every night. W-we heard a group of people talking about how Ginny, Neville, and Luna tried to steal the Sword of Gryffindor."

She chanced a look over at Ron. He was looking down at his hands. Placing a hand on his arm, Hermione continued, "Ron and Harry got into an argument-"

Ron interrupted her. "I got angry at him. He…I thought he would have had more of a plan or that he had more information to complete our mission. We were hungry and tired and that night…I just snapped. I started yelling at him and he started yelling back. Hermione ended up putting a shield between us and he…he yelled at me and I just had to get out of there. I ran out of the tent and Hermione followed me. She grabbed my arm just as I Disapparated. We landed right in the middle of a group of Snatchers."

Bill and Mrs. Weasley gasped. Ron glanced up at his mother before he continued, "We convinced them that we weren't on the list and they stunned us and left. A…a witch found us and took us in for the night."

"Ron had been injured by the Snatchers and he needed to heal. Plus the lure of spending the night in a warm, clean bed and eating real food was too strong," Hermione explained. She could hear herself trying to justify their actions. "We stayed the night and when we went back to the tent the next afternoon, Harry was gone."

"Gone?" Remus asked. "Where did he go?"

"We don't know," Hermione whispered. "He'd talked about going to Godric's Hollow so we spent almost a week there, but he never showed up. We figured he would come back here or go back to Grimmauld Place. We didn't go back to Grimmauld Place because the day we broke into the Ministry…as we were leaving, one of the Death Eaters grabbed onto me and I brought him to Grimmauld Place. I was afraid he may have left some traps there."

Remus sprang to his feet and began pacing in front of the fireplace. "Why didn't you say anything earlier? I thought maybe he was planning to meet you here."

Hermione looked up with tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Remus. I really thought he'd come here. I don't know where he is or what he plans to do."

* * *

Harry knelt on the snowy ground next to his parents' headstone. He reached out with a shaking hand to trace his mother's name. The young wizard felt the hot sting of tears as they burned his eyes, obscuring his vision. He wiped his eyes with his gloved hands impatiently. It hit him again that his parents had given their lives for him. He couldn't imagine why in the world they had done that, he simply wasn't worth it. He had caused death and destruction his whole life. His parents, Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore – they had all died protecting him. His two best friends had even bailed on him. How could he be expected to honour his parents' sacrifice?

"Meow."

Harry looked down at the kitten bumping against his legs. He gave his pet a shaky smile. "I'm still here, Sparkle."

He gestured to the graves. "These are my parents. James and Lily Potter. V - I mean Tom killed them to get to me. You know before today I never even knew their birthdays. It's pretty sad, isn't it? I think I know more about Tom than I do my own parents."

Absentmindedly he gathered Sparkle in his arms and scratched her behind the ears. "I don't know how, but I will somehow make their sacrifice worth it."

With a last look at his parents' grave, Harry conjured up a wreath of lilies, which he placed gently on the ground. "I love you, Mum and Dad."

Leaving the churchyard, Harry wandered around the town square. The statue both humbled and amazed him. The looks of joy and love his parents directed at him filled him with a longing for a normal life. Unbidden, he imagined him and Ginny holding their baby. _Could that really happen? Could he really defeat Voldemort and start a life with Ginny?_

Shouldering his pack, he headed down the street. As he neared the end of the street, he saw it. The grass was growing wild around the house. It looked like it had been a nice cottage at some point in time. Ivy was growing up one side of the house and Harry could imagine it as a happy home. The top right side of the house was blown away. Harry shivered. This must be where his mother had died, where he had faced Voldemort for the first time.

Tearing his eyes away from the house itself, he saw the rubble scattered across the unkept yard. Without thinking, he reached for the gate. Harry watched the plaque honoring his family rise from the ground. Smiling, he read the words of support and encouragement left for him. He felt a strong sense of magic in the air and wondered if charms had been placed to keep people out. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the magic he felt in the air. He opened his eyes with a smile. He recognized the protective wards around the house; they were similar to the wards he had lived with all his life on Privet Drive.

Taking another look around to ensure no one was watching him, Harry drew his wand and after opening the gate, stepped into the front yard. He paused a minute, half expecting to hear some kind of alarm. When nothing happened, he made his way across to the house. He unlocked the front door and stepped inside his childhood home for the first time in over sixteen years.

Thick layers of dust covered the interior of the house. Harry closed the door and looked around. He was in a living room and could see the stairs off to the right. Harry chose to explore the first floor and hurried through the living room. _Was that where his father had died?_

He walked through a small dining room to the kitchen. He smiled as he surveyed the kitchen. It looked like a happy place; the walls were painted a bright yellow that hadn't faded over the years. It was a typical Wizarding kitchen with a large fireplace dominating one wall. There was a stove and large pantry on the opposite wall with plenty of large white cupboards on the walls. Harry could see a door leading out back and there was a small wooden table along the wall with the fireplace. Harry set down his backpack and let Sparkle out.

Sparkle jumped down from the table and immediately sneezed. Harry laughed and set to work cleaning up the kitchen.

A good hour and a half later, Harry sat down at the small table. To his delight, he'd found a case of butterbeer still cool in the pantry. He'd had to banish several containers of food that after sixteen years, he really didn't want to try to identify. While he now felt more confident with his magical cleaning skills, he found that he still felt more comfortable cleaning some things the Muggle way.

He'd found the tea kettle and put it on to boil while he pulled the food he'd brought with him out of his pack. He placed it in the pantry with a sense of being home.

As he was finishing up his tea and sandwich, Sparkle came running back into the room.

"What do you think, girl?" Harry asked as he poured some food and water out for the kitten. "This was my parents' house. I think we should stay here while we're in Godric's Hollow."

By early evening, Harry and Sparkle had explored the entire downstairs. In addition to the kitchen, dining room and living room, they found a small office and bathroom on the first floor. Harry didn't feel up to visiting the second floor yet. While he was fairly sure his father had died in the living room, he knew for certain his mother had died in his nursery up in the right hand corner. So he decided to sleep on the couch in the living room. The young wizard found a pillow and blankets as well as towels in a hall closet. He was pleased to find out that one of his parents supported Puddlemere United, the team for whom his former captain, Oliver Wood was currently playing. The blankets were decorated with the blue and gold logo of Puddlemere.

Having spent the last several weeks at his aunt and uncle's house with no heat, he was pleased to find that his parents' house was warm and the water was hot. After taking a hot shower, Harry changed into his new pajamas and lay down on the couch. Pulling out the Marauder's map, Harry watched Ginny's dot for a while. Sparkle curled up next to him and Harry fell asleep. After being at his parents' house for less than a day, it already felt more like home than his aunt and uncle's house ever had.

* * *

Ginny sank gingerly into the large armchair by the fireplace. She ached all over. Goyle had been practicing his Cruciatus Curse on her during Dark Arts that afternoon. Professor Carrow had offered the Slytherin upperclassmen extra credit to "help" with disciplining the other classes. Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, and Malfoy had jumped at the chance.

"Are you okay, Ginny?" Neville asked worriedly. He didn't like how pale she looked. The older boy hated the fact that Ginny was not in his class. He and Seamus tried to watch out for the girls in their year. All the boys did, but the sixth year Gryffindors had a rather small class without the Muggleborns and Ginny often took on the role of protector for her classmates.

Opening her eyes, Ginny smiled wanly at Neville. "I'll be okay. Goyle is getting better with his curses."

Lavender brought Ginny over a cup of tea and half a vial of post Cruciatus potion. Ever since Ginny had asked Kreacher to bring food to the common room, he had ensured that the common room was always stocked with tea and food as well as the precious healing potions.

Ginny smiled her thanks as she downed the potion. Within a few minutes, Ginny started to feel alive enough to listen to the conversation around her.

"I will be so glad to leave this place for the holidays," Parvati said as she joined the group by the fire.

"I know," Neville agreed. "I don't think anyone signed up to stay over the holidays. I know for certain no Gryffindors have signed up to stay. I'll check with Hannah and Luna to make sure that all Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws have a place to go for the holidays. I'd hate to imagine anyone being forced to stay here this Christmas."

"Ginny." Ginny looked up to see Seamus looking over at her.

"I don't want to worry you for no reason, but I don't like the way Malfoy's been watching you lately," Seamus said hesitantly.

"Malfoy?" Ginny asked.

To her surprise, she saw Neville and Parvati nodding. Lavender added, "I agree. He was watching you last year, but he has become much more obvious lately."

"Just be careful around him," Neville said.

* * *

Harry woke the next morning warm and content for the first time in a long while. After frying up some eggs and sausages that he'd purchased with the money Alicia had given him, Harry pulled out his notes to review while he ate. A squeaking noise made him look up. He and Sparkle had found a cache of cat toys in the study and Sparkle had been chasing around a toy mouse all morning.

"Hey, girl." Harry reached down and picked up both the kitten and the toy. "You look like you're having fun here."

Teasing the kitten with the mouse, Harry made a decision. "Sparkle, I think I'm going to leave you here today while I go explore. I want to see if I can find Bathilda Bagshot. She knew my parents and the Dumbledores. I don't know if she'll be able to tell me anything or not, but I think I'd rather leave you and my stuff here."

Sparkle meowed and butted up against Harry's hand. Harry laughed and set down the kitten. With a wave of his wand, Harry sent his dishes to the sink and they began to wash themselves. Carrying Sparkle and his bag into the study, Harry hid his notes and the Horcrux in his father's desk. He hated leaving them here, but the house had obviously not been disturbed in the past sixteen years so he felt safe leaving his most important belongings here.

After cleaning up and changing, Harry set several privacy and security charms before he slipped out of his childhood home and walking back towards the town square. Pulling his jacket around him tighter to keep out the cold winter air, Harry spent the better part of the morning exploring his hometown.

By early afternoon, Harry had explored most of the residential sections of town. By his reckoning, he had found six Magical households, but he had no way of knowing who lived there. He was headed back home when he saw a small older woman bundled up against the cold.

Nodding to the woman, he felt the weight of her stare. Did she know him? He couldn't see much of her, but she appeared to be quite old. Could she be Bathilda Bagshot?

"Can I help you, ma'am?" Harry asked.

Even close to her, he still couldn't see much of her. She was wearing a thick, dark winter coat with a heavy red scarf and a hat that covered much of her head. All he could see was her cloudy eyes and gray hair that was not covered by the hat. She moved quite slowly, her movements indicated great age. Harry felt certain she was a witch.

Nodding, she beckoned to him. Looking around, Harry did not see anyone else around. He followed her as she led him down the street to one of the houses Harry had identified as being Magical. The front lawn was quite overgrown and there was an air of general neglect about the home. He could see the woman's tracks in the snow, but the front walk had not been cleared.

She opened the rusty gate and led the way into the house. Harry wrinkled his nose. Something smelled badly in the house. He wasn't sure if it was the woman or the house. Looking around, he could see that the house hadn't been cleaned in some time, the smell of old rubbish mixed with the smell of rotten food. Taking a discreet step back from her, Harry asked, "Are you Bathilda Bagshot?"

She nodded slowly. "Are you Potter?" she asked. Her voice sounded odd to Harry almost as though it was rusty from disuse.

"Yes," Harry nodded. "I am. Did Professor Dumbledore leave something here for me?"

Harry felt a quick stabbing pain in his scar. He rubbed his head as she gestured towards the dark corner of the room. Harry turned to look and as he did so, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning back, he watched in horror as the old woman's body seemed to fall away. From her neck slithered a large snake. Harry's blood ran cold as he recognized Nagini.

Harry drew his wand as his head throbbed. He heard the familiar cold high laugh that haunted many of his dreams and as the room disappeared momentarily, he heard "Hold him for me."

Before Harry could cast any spells, he felt a stabbing pain as Nagini bit him below the wrist. To his horror, he watched his wand fly across the room. Nagini's powerful tail swung around and knocked him off balance.

Harry scrambled frantically to reach his wand. He felt the all too familiar feel of Voldemort's pleasure and realized that Voldemort was on his way.

"_Accio_ wand!" Harry yelled desperately. Harry slipped on a thick liquid that he realized was blood. Nagini took advantage of his distraction and wound her way around his chest. Harry gasped as the snake's powerful body slowly tightened around him.

Beating his arms against the snake did nothing for him. "Please," he whispered. "Let me go."

Not really expecting an answer, Harry was surprised to hear the snake respond, "Sorry, my master wants to see you."

"Your master wants to kill me," Harry gasped in Parseltongue as his scar burned painfully.

"I must hold you," Nagini responded.

A flash filled the room and for a horrifying moment, Harry was certain he was dead. He heard Nagini hissing angrily before air rushed back into his lungs as Nagini fell away from his body. A soothing song filled the room and as Harry grabbed his wand, he realized that Fawkes had joined him.

He felt Nagini's fangs stab into his leg. With the return of Nagini's fangs was the addition of a warmth rushing up his leg and Harry realized that venom was pouring into his body. He fell to the ground and looked up in time to see Fawkes drop Gryffindor's Sword next to him. Harry grabbed the sword and swung almost blindly, hearing a scream as the mighty sword connected with the snake. He swung again, with more control this time, and severed the snake's head.

Intense pain seared through his head centered at his scar and he fell to his knees as the worst throbbing he'd felt in years seared across his brain. He could literally feel Voldemort coming closer. With a scream of pain, he looked up as a form darkened the doorway.

"No!" Harry heard Voldemort's anguished cry as he realized Nagini was dead.

Turning, Harry saw Fawkes directly in front of him. He grabbed the bird's scarlet feathers and to Harry's relief, he felt the bird lift him and soar out the window. The young wizard heard Voldemort yelling curses and felt the singe of a curse as it narrowly missed him. Turning his head, he saw Voldemort standing in the broken window. The bright flash of a curse lit the afternoon sky. As he lost consciousness, Harry realized he'd been hit with a cutting curse across his back.


	7. Chapter 6 The Deathly Hallows

Hermione set aside the book she'd been reading when she heard Remus and Bill enter the kitchen. She hurried into the kitchen to join them just as they sat down at the table.

After exchanging greetings with the two men, Hermione asked, "So what did you find out?"

Remus sighed. "We checked Grimmauld Place. It was pretty well trashed out, we are assuming by the Death Eaters. There were several traps and nasty charms set that Bill was able to counteract. I didn't see any sign of Harry. We checked Godric's Hollow. No one has seen him around. The house is warded so that only a Potter can enter. We did check magically and there were no people in the house. I have no idea where he may have gone."

Guilt swamped Hermione as she listened to Remus. "I'm so sorry, Remus. I wish I knew where he might be. I can't think of anywhere else he might have gone."

To her anger, Ron let out a derisive snort as he joined them in the kitchen. "He will come back when he is good and ready, Hermione. It's no use feeling guilty about it."

Remus glared at Ron, but to Hermione's relief, he didn't say anything. Things had been very tense between Remus and Ron since the truth had come out. Ron was channeling his guilt into anger at Harry and Remus was taking any criticism of Harry badly.

Glaring at his youngest brother, Bill said harshly, "Please don't share your opinions, Ron. You know they are not shared by the rest of us. You really need to keep quiet when Ginny gets home. You know she will not put up with your comments."

Before Ron could respond, Molly jumped in. "Ron, that is enough. After you eat, I need you to go up to the attic and get out the Christmas decorations. I want to be able to decorate the tree when your sister gets home."

Hermione went back into the sitting room to try to read some more of her book. She had only read a few pages when she heard more voices in the kitchen. The bushy-haired witch reentered the kitchen in time to see Alicia Spinnet and George settle down at the table.

"You!" Alicia was glaring at Hermione. "I can't believe you are here."

Sending an alarmed glance at his friend, George said, "Alicia, what in Merlin's name is going on? Why are you upset with Hermione?"

Taking a few calming breaths, Alicia replied, "I'm sorry. I know I've been very mysterious this morning, but…I saw Harry last week."

The room exploded in noise. Raising a quieting hand, Alicia quickly explained how she had run into Harry at the Magical library and their subsequent conversation. Turning to Remus, she said, "Professor, Harry asked me to tell you he was sorry and that he is okay."

Tears shining in his eyes, Remus asked, "Was he okay?"

Sending another glare at Hermione, Alicia replied, "He seemed okay. He said he was staying someplace cold, but safe. But Professor, they left him. They left him without any food, or clothes, or supplies, or anything. He was very upset about it. I…I took a break while he was there and ran out and got some supplies for him. I was able to get him a couple changes of clothes and some potions. I got a bit of money, but I didn't have a whole lot. I was afraid if I took too long, he would be gone."

Without another word, Remus engulfed his former pupil in a hug. "Thank you," he whispered brokenly when he could speak. "Thank you for looking out for him."

Alicia smiled at him. "It was my pleasure. He is so brave and courageous. He couldn't tell me exactly what he is doing, but I know he is trying to end this war."

Speaking to Hermione, she said, "He is devastated that you left him. He kept saying he understood and that he was too dangerous to be around, but underneath it all, you could see he was hurt and confused. I really can't believe you two would do that to him. I thought you were his best friends. What the bloody hell happened?"

Hermione looked at Alicia with tears in her eyes and explained what had happened. Alicia shook her head. "That's worse than I thought. You accidently left him – with nothing. He…he deserves a lot better."

"Alicia," Remus interrupted. "Did he say anything about where he was staying? Or where he was heading?"

Alicia shook her head. "No, but he did ask me to wait a week before telling you that I saw him. I don't think he wants to be found right now. I think he was planning on leaving wherever it was he was staying."

"All he said about it was it was cold?" Bill asked.

"Yes, he said it was cold, but safe. I don't know where it was," Alicia said thoughtfully.

"What is it?" Remus asked. "You looked like you remembered something."

"I don't know. He sounded like he was staying in a house," Alicia replied. "The way he talked about Sparkle sleeping in his room."

"Sparkle?" George questioned.

"His kitten," Alicia explained.

"He doesn't have a kitten," Hermione said softly.

Alicia glared at her. "He got her to keep him company after his best friends deserted him."

"Alicia, that's enough. She feels really badly about what happened," George said quietly.

Alicia blushed. "I'm sorry. I…I just felt so badly for him and I notice she is here with your family in a nice warm home getting fed. He was getting by on jam sandwiches and tinned fruit."

"So he had some money," Bill stated.

Everyone turned to look at him. Alicia nodded slowly. "He said he'd found a twenty and he was using that for food. He did mention that Sparkle was free."

"His aunt and uncle's house," Hermione said. "He would feel safe with all of the wards placed there by the Order. It would be cold because they turned off the electricity and he would be able to find Muggle money there."

Remus stood and ran out to the Apparition point. Everyone waited quietly in the kitchen for him to return. He returned ten minutes later. No one even had to ask if he'd found Harry. The answer was apparent by the look on his face.

"He'd been there," Remus said sadly. "The house had been lived in, but he's gone."

* * *

Harry woke with a scream. He arched up off the bed, his body and head aching. The young wizard could still feel the burning of the snake bites to his wrist and leg and his back was sore. But worse than his physical pain was an ache he couldn't quite identify. He had just watched Voldemort kill his parents through Voldemort's own eyes. Harry had been wrong. His father hadn't been killed in the living room. His dad had been killed in the hallway.

Wiping away his tears, Harry opened his eyes and looked around. He did not recognize the room he was in. Reaching out, the young wizard found that his glasses and his wand had been left on the bed stand next to him and the Sword of Gryffindor was leaning up against the wall. It was still bloody from his fight with Nagini. He was alone in the room. Pulling back the covers, he could see that while he was still wearing the same bloodstained clothing, his wounds seem to have been healed. As cleanly repaired as they were, Harry knew Fawkes must have healed him. He sat up slowly, feeling a bit weak. He could tell from experience he needed some Blood-Replenishing Potion.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, the injured wizard looked around. He was in a rather large bedroom on a large four poster bed. The bed was soft and inviting and he could tell the sheets were of good quality. The room was richly decorated in blue and gold, reminding Harry of the Ravenclaw colours. The wall across from the bed was dominated by a large fireplace with an ornate mantel. Thick blue curtains covered one wall leading Harry to believe there were windows behind them. He could see a door open to the loo and a closed door that Harry surmised led to the rest of the house. There were a few pictures in the room. Over the mantel was a painting of Hogwarts and there were several other landscapes scattered throughout the room, but no portraits to give him a clue where he might be.

Harry slid out of the bed and onto the thick cream coloured carpet. Grabbing the bloody sword, he made his way to the door and holding his wand ready, opened it. The aperture swept into a hallway with half a dozen other doors. Harry ignored those doors and made his way to the stairs at the end of the corridor. He found the ground floor without meeting anyone or finding a clue to where he was. Overall, the house seemed richly appointed and brightly lit. To Harry's relief, it did not resemble the Dark house in which his godfather had grown up.

As he arrived in the brightly lit, yellow kitchen, he caught sight of Fawkes sleeping on a perch. Harry relaxed slightly, knowing that surely Fawkes would not have brought him somewhere dangerous.

"Fawkes," Harry called softly after resting the sword on the table.

The phoenix looked up and settled his wings when he saw Harry. Harry approached the bird and stroked his scarlet and gold plumes. "Did you heal me again? Thanks, boy."

Fawkes trilled in Harry's ear. Harry smiled as the song made him feel warm and safe. "Where am I?"

Launching himself into the air, Fawkes flew out of the kitchen and down the hall to one of the rooms at the back of the house, Harry following close behind. When he opened the door, he found himself in a large book lined study. There was another painting of Hogwarts above the desk.

Harry looked around the room. It was comfortable and inviting. He saw smaller pictures, including one of a young blond girl in a long dress that looked like something that may have been worn in the last century. Glancing over at Fawkes, he could feel the phoenix watching him benignly, as though he were giving him permission to explore the room.

Walking over to the large bookcase that took up one entire wall, Harry's gaze was drawn to a group of photos. He didn't know the people in most of the photos, but he recognized the snapshot of the original Order of the Phoenix that Moody had shown him several years earlier. He smiled for a moment as he watched his mother and father subtly flirt in the photo.

A feeling of loneliness swept through Harry for a moment. Besides Alicia, he hadn't talked to anyone in several weeks. He missed Ron's sarcastic humor and Hermione's calm presence. While the wizard still felt betrayed by them and angry at them, they had been his first and best friends for over six years and he did miss them. But more than the two of them, the dark-haired wizard missed Ginny. He missed her acceptance of him, no matter what. She had always supported him. He had come to rely on her and the sense of comfort only she could provide.

Pushing aside his feelings, Harry continued his exploration of the room. He saw a grouping of plaques on a low set table. One of them read – Albus Dumbledore _Educator of the Year_ – 1950.

Turning, Harry looked at the phoenix in astonishment. "This is Professor Dumbledore's house?"

Fawkes trilled in response.

"Is it okay that I'm here?" Harry asked hesitantly.

Fawkes just gave him a look that made him feel a bit silly for asking. Flying over to the desk, the phoenix grabbed a stack of books from the edge of the desk and carried them back over to Harry.

Harry grabbed the stack of four books. Two of them appeared to be journals. Harry opened the soft leathery covers and recognized the loopy writing of the former headmaster. The other two books were both older tomes. One was the same book Hermione had been reading – _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_ and the other was simply entitled _The Deathly Hallows_. Harry tried to think if he'd ever heard that phrase before, but didn't think he ever had.

Looking over at Fawkes, Harry asked hesitantly, "You think I should read these?"

Fawkes stared at him for a moment before humming softly. Somehow Harry got the feeling that not only did Fawkes want him to read these journals, but perhaps Dumbledore would have wanted him to read them as well. Harry looked back at the books in his hand. Maybe he would find out more about Professor Dumbledore and quiet some of the unease he'd felt since he'd first read about the professor in the paper.

"Fawkes, can I take these back to where I was staying?"

* * *

_25 July, 1899_

_We found Ignotus Peverell's grave in the graveyard behind the church. It is rather worn, but you can still read the words and the symbol for the Deathly Hallows is on his grave. This proves what Gellert has been saying all along. Ignotus, Antioch, and Cadmus were real and they lived here in Godric's Hollow at least at some point. Could it be that the three Hallows were all here at some point in time? Gellert wants to trace the records to see if we can discover what happened to the brothers. _

_1 August, 1899_

_Gellert said something very disquieting today. I agree with him that wizard dominance is a good idea for the greater good. We should take responsibility for those who do not have the power with which we have been blessed, but I am not entirely certain that Gellert wants only to help Muggles. I know he was expelled from Durmstrang for use of excessive force against those who did not agree with him, but surely he learned his lesson? He must see that force is not the answer. We should take control, but to help the Muggles, not to harm them._

Harry dropped the journal he had been reading as if he'd been burned. Albus Dumbledore was friends with Gellert Grindelwald? Dumbledore wanted to rule over Muggles. Harry stood up and paced in front of the unlit fire in his parents' living room. The confused Gryffindor had read most of Dumbledore's first journal. He had learned how Dumbledore's sister Ariana had been brutalized by three Muggle boys after they witnessed her accidental magic and how Dumbledore's father had gone to prison for attacking the boys who had traumatized his only daughter.

Harry could sympathize with Dumbledore up to a point, but this was taking things a step too far. How could he condone what Grindelwald had done? One of the people Harry had read about in the library was Gellert Grindelwald. He figured if he was almost as bad as Voldemort and Dumbledore had defeated him, he might learn something. Discovering a close friendship between his mentor, Albus Dumbledore and his supposed enemy, Gellert Grindelwald was very disturbing.

While he wanted to give up in disgust, he reminded himself that Dumbledore had never given up on him. Picking up the journal, Harry found there was only one other journal entry. It was written in a much different hand than the normal deliberate writing he was used to. It seemed much shakier as though Dumbledore was quite upset when he wrote the entry.

_13 August 1899_

_I don't even know where to begin. Abe discovered the plans that Gellert and I had made for uniting the Hallows and conquering the Muggle world. I tried to explain to him how this would be a good thing, but he…he couldn't see. I still don't know who fired the first curse, but Gellert and I fought with Abe._

_Then…then my beautiful, damaged sister somehow wandered into the middle of our fight. Arianna is dead. I don't even know who killed her. Could I have killed my sister? I was supposed to be watching out for her. My parents expected me to look after my brother and sister, not conspire to take over the world. What was I thinking?_

_Gellert, I can scarcely bear to think about him. I thought he cared for me as much as I cared for him. He just left. He left me there with the body of my dead sister without a word of comfort or love. Miss Bagshot told me that he left, that he is continuing his world tour. For once I am not jealous of him. I don't deserve a world tour. What am I going to do? How will I ever be able to atone for my sins?_

Harry put the journal down and wiped his eyes. He felt angry and let down. After all, he had trusted Dumbledore, had believed in him. Had Harry put his trust in the wrong person? It had happened before – look at Ron and Hermione. He had trusted them to have his back and help him, but when push came to shove, they had left.

Mechanically he got up and fixed his simple supper of eggs and tinned pears. Part of him wanted to just give up. Why should it all be on his head? The young wizard could run away to France or Spain and live in the Muggle world. He could travel; he'd always wanted to travel. But even as the thoughts entered his mind, Harry knew he could never leave. Even if Voldemort would leave him alone, Harry didn't want a life without Ginny. In order to have the life he dreamed about with her, he needed to defeat Voldemort.

As he washed his dishes, he wondered why Fawkes had wanted him to read the journals. He had never realized what a dark and tragic past his headmaster had. He pondered the journal entries all evening, trying to reconcile what he'd read with what he knew of his headmaster.

Putting aside the second journal for the night, Harry pulled out one of the smaller books. It was similar to the book Professor Dumbledore had left Hermione, but this one was in English, not runes. As he held the book, it fell open to the story – _The Tale of Three Brothers_. He decided that this was a sign to read that story.

_There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across it when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure._

_And Death spoke to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of the three new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him._

_So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death! So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother._

_Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead._

_And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers, and he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility._

_Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so talking with wonder of the adventure they had had and admiring Death's gifts._

_In due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination._

_The first brother traveled on for a week more, and reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor the oldest brother preceded to an inn, where he boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched from Death himself, and of how it made him invincible._

_That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay, wine-sodden upon his bed. The thief took the wand and for good measure, slit the oldest brother's throat._

_And so Death took the first brother for his own._

_Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him._

_Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself so as to truly join her._

_And so Death took the second brother from his own._

_But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life. *_

Harry lay down with his mind, spinning. These were the Deathly Hallows? Was that why Professor Dumbledore had borrowed his father's cloak? Was his father's cloak one of the Hallows? Was Voldemort looking for the Elder Wand? Is that why he was looking up wandmakers? Harry lay awake for a long time, his mind full of possibilities.

* * *

* Quoted from Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, pgs 330-332, UK Hard backed version


	8. Chapter 7 Return to Hogwarts

_14__ January 1945_

_Unbelievably, Gellert has come into possession of the Elder Wand. As near as I can piece it together, he stole the wand from Gregorovitch. He actually has one of the Deathly Hallows. It makes me uneasy to revisit the unhealthy obsession of my youth, but I cannot allow him to continue to wreak havoc on the Wizarding world. I know I must face him and soon._

_2 May 1945_

_It is done. I have defeated Gellert and he is imprisoned in Nurmengard. Dueling him was one of the hardest things I have ever done. What happened to the boy I knew so many years ago? I could see flashes of him in the man I defeated, but years of practicing Dark Arts left its mark on him. 8 May 1945_

_Today the Muggles have ended their war in Europe. I am glad that their long and costly war is over. Both the Wizarding and Muggle societies will need to rebuild. Magical people fought on both sides of the great Muggle conflict. Many who fought and served under Hitler are claiming that they were compelled to do so under the Imperius curse. I fear it will take some time to sort out what actually happened._

_30__ June 1945_

_It was with a heavy heart that I watched Tom Riddle graduate. Possibly the fact that I am still recovering from my fight with Gellert is colouring my perception, but I feel very uneasy about that young man. I have been approached by Minister Bruce about overseeing war crimes trials. It is rumoured that the Muggles will be starting their trials before the end of the year and it seems only prudent to hold ours at the same time._

Harry set aside Dumbledore's journal. He was trying to make sense of all of the information he had learned over the past week. He smiled as he watched Sparkle trying to catch the coloured bubbles he was shooting out of his wand. After watching his father do the same for him in Voldemort's memory, Harry learned the spell and had been using it with Sparkle.

"What am I supposed to do, Sparkle? Am I supposed to go after the Deathly Hallows? Is that what Tom is after? I know he's after wandmakers, but I thought he was trying to figure out what happened between us in our last fight." He had to laugh as Sparkle flipped head over tail trying to catch a bubble. "Is that your way of telling me I am being too serious?"

He shot a group of red and gold bubbles towards the kitten. "So girl, we are headed off for Scotland today. Doesn't that sound exciting?" Harry asked the playful little kitten.

"I heard a couple in the diner yesterday, talking about how the train from Hogwarts was due tomorrow. I figured if we take the train up today, we can Apparate to Hogsmeade tomorrow and we will be less likely to be spotted in the chaos. We can make our way up to the castle while the students are leaving. That way we will be there when there will be no students around." Harry explained.

Watching Sparkle jumping through the bubbles, Harry said wistfully, "It would be nice to see Ginny, though."

* * *

Ginny threw another outfit into her bag and closed and locked her trunk. Normally her trunk stayed unlocked from September through June, but Ginny didn't feel right leaving it unlocked while she went home for the holidays. She didn't want to take her trunk home, either.

Glancing at the clock, she made her way down to the common room with her bag and the cage containing Arnold, her pygmy puff. Neville and Seamus were waiting for her along with Lavender and Parvati.

"Ready, Ginny?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, I can't wait to get home," Ginny replied. "My mum is sure to have cooked up a feast of all of my favourite dishes."

As they exited the common room, a second year Hufflepuff hurried up to Ginny. "Excuse me, Ginny?"

Ginny nodded. "I'm Ginny."

"Professor Snape wanted to get this to you," the little girl explained, trembling slightly as she handed over the note.

_Miss Weasley__,_

_Report to the Potions' classroom at once._

_Professor Snape_

Groaning slightly, Ginny turned to her friends. "I have to go see Snape. Can you see that my stuff gets on board the train?"

Ginny headed down to the dungeons, trying to figure out what she may have done wrong. She didn't think anyone knew about the latest round of vandalism and anyway she hadn't been caught doing anything. _Had she done something wrong in Potions?_ As she turned down the hall towards the Potions room, the youngest Weasley realized that Snape was no longer Potions Master. _Why was he asking her to meet him there?_

The normally quick witch caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. As she turned, she heard two spells ring out.

"_Silencio!"_

"_Petrificus Totalus!"_

Pain exploded through her head as it slammed into the hard, cold stone floor. She looked around frantically, but the frozen girl could only see the torch above her. The brave Gryffindor could see a shadow headed towards her as she heard another voice yell, _"Stupefy_!"

Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, and Pansy Parkinson came out of the shadows as Ginny lost consciousness. Blaise lifted her quickly and the three of them hurried with their burden to the empty Potions classroom.

"Are you sure Slughorn won't interrupt us?" Blaise asked as he lay his burden down on the large desk in front of him.

"Slughorn has already left," Draco assured them.

Pansy eyed the unconscious girl on the floor distastefully while Draco pulled out a cauldron on bubbling mud-like potion. Noticing her hesitation, Draco snapped, "Come on, Pansy, get on with it. Get some of her hair."

Glaring at her boyfriend, Pansy grabbed Ginny's hair and using her wand, cut a chunk out of the other girl's hair. Dropping some of it into the potion, she watched it turn a smooth silver colour.

Draco handed her a vial full of the potion, which she downed quickly while Draco packed up several other vials for her to take with her. Pansy grimaced and grabbed the edge of the desk in front of her as the potion took effect. She felt herself shrinking and her hair growing. She looked distastefully at the colour of the hair as the potion finished taking effect. Grabbing the younger girl's wand, she nodded to Draco.

"_Rennervate_!" Draco awakened the stunned girl and with another spell, released her from the body bind. He yanked her into a sitting position.

Ginny immediately struck out at her captor, kicking at whatever she could reach. Unfortunately for her, Draco trapped her legs and backhanded her so hard her teeth snapped together.

"Hold still, you damn blood traitor!" Draco yelled at her. Ginny took a moment to assess the situation. Her eyes widened in shock to see what looked like her clone across the room and Blaise standing guard near the door.

Pansy laughed at the look on her face. "Don't worry, I don't like looking like a blood traitor whore, but it is necessary."

Ginny's heart sank as she realized the wand Pansy was waving at her was Ginny's own. While Draco had cancelled the other charms, the Silencing Charm was still in force so she shouldn't call for help.

She started panicking when Draco called over to Blaise, "Come help me. We need to get her clothes off."

Watching the proceedings with a smirk on her face, Pansy laughed at Ginny's struggles. "Draco, do I really have to wear those horrible Muggle clothes?" she asked, gesturing at Ginny's jeans and jumper.

"Yes, Pansy. It is only for a while. Once the Express is away from the station, you can escape from the other blood traitors," Draco replied soothingly.

Ginny struggled against the two Slytherin boys, but unfortunately she was no match for the much bigger and stronger pair. They pulled off her jumper and t-shirt and tossed them over to Pansy.

Pansy made a face. "What is that?" she asked, pointing to Ginny's pierced belly button.

Draco shrugged. "I don't know, probably some trashy Muggle thing. You know how her family is; they are fascinated by Muggles."

He looked over Ginny as she struggled futilely against Blaise. School robes certainly hid more than he realized as he stared, entranced for a moment. While her simple white bra was not as sexy as the black and red lace favoured by Pansy, he had to admit that she had more to cover than Pansy could ever hope to have. He caught Pansy's glare as she realized he was staring at Ginny's chest. To try and distract her, he laughed. "It sure is a shame to waste that body on Potter."

Ginny struggled harder as he stepped up close to her. She could feel the weight of his eyes on her and when he stepped closer, she could feel the warmth of his breath against her cheek. He locked eyes with her and ran his hand down her chest. Ginny tried to twist away from him, but Blaise kept her firmly in place. Draco let out a yell and backhanded her again as she spit on him. He stepped up close to her. "You should be flattered that you can still attract the attention of a Pureblood."

Looking up at Blaise, he said, "Hold her tight. I need to take her jeans off."

Blaise grunted as he pinned her to the desk once again. Draco undid her jeans and slid them down her legs. She shivered as his hands followed the same course. Ginny froze as she realized that she was dressed in only her bra and knickers. Fear crept through her as she waited to see what Draco and Blaise were going to do. She felt the warm sting of tears in her eyes that she determinedly blinked away. She would never give the Slytherins the pleasure of reducing her to tears.

She jumped as a warm, silky, black cloth hit her legs. Raising her head, she realized that Pansy had thrown her cloak over her. Shivering at the look of hatred directed at her from her own eyes, Ginny grabbed the cloak and covered herself as best she could.

Laughing cruelly, Pansy said, "I realize you've never had a cloak that nice before. You can keep it. I certainly would never wear it again after it's been worn by a blood traitor."

Stepping over to Draco, she kissed him deeply. "I'm off. I'll see you in London."

"Pansy, wait a minute." Draco stepped out of Ginny's sight for a moment. All she could see was a few flashes of light. Draco stepped back to Ginny's side and gestured to Blaise. Ginny tried to see what was happening, but Draco had stepped in front of her, blocking her view.

After Pansy left, Draco wrapped the cloak around Ginny and pulled up the hood to cover her distinctive hair. He looked over at Blaise, who lifted her roughly off the table.

Jabbing his wand in the small of her back, Blaise held onto her arm with his other hand. Speaking for the first time, Blaise whispered in her ear, "You try anything, you blood traitor whore and I will curse you before you get two steps away. You dishonour your blood by consorting with Mudbloods and traitors. I know Draco would love to get you in his bed, but I would never lower myself by touching you, no matter how beautiful you are."

Ginny was dragged out of the dungeon by the two Slytherins. Blaise's hand on the back of her neck forced her head down so she couldn't look directly at anyone and the Silencing Charm kept her from making any noise. She could hear the noise and clatter of the students getting off to the train station. Several times both Blaise and Draco had responded to comments from other students, but no one was paying any attention to her. They walked past the Entrance Hall and up the main staircase. Ginny tried to fight against Blaise's hand, but he shoved her hard into the stone wall and continued dragging her up the stairs. He dragged her down the corridor and knocked on a familiar door. To Ginny's horror, she heard an all too familiar wheezy laugh and a surprising girlish voice say, "It took you long enough. Is Pansy on her way to the train?"

"The blood traitor tried to be difficult," Draco said vindictively. "I think she wanted me and Blaise."

Blaise threw her to the ground and she watched, stunned as Amycus handed the boys a bag of money each.

"Hurry up, boys. I don't want you to miss the train. The Dark Lord didn't want anyone to know she was missing before the train left."

With a vicious kick to her side, Blaise and Draco swept out of the room, leaving Ginny alone with a Death Eater.

* * *

Harry and Sparkle hurried up to the castle, hidden under Harry's Invisibility Cloak. As Harry had hoped, the confusion surrounding the loading of the train allowed him to slip up to the castle unnoticed. He caught sight of Neville and Seamus as he hurried up to the second floor. Still under his cloak, he reluctantly entered Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. After ensuring there was no one inside, he whispered the words that would open the Chamber of Secrets.

Taking a deep breath, Harry held tightly onto his bag and stepped into the dark tunnel that led down to the Chamber. Memories flooded through his mind as he made his way past the caved in area. This time he was confident enough in his magic to Vanish the rubble so he could get through. He remembered the urgency with which he'd hurried into the Chamber the last time. As the young wizard walked into the Chamber itself, he took a look around. The long dead Basilisk was laying in front of the huge statue of Salazar Slytherin. To Harry's relief, it hadn't decomposed. That had been one of his biggest concerns about staying in the Chamber of Secrets.

He cautiously opened the door through which the Basilisk had been summoned. The tunnel split into two. Harry explored the tunnels and discovered the Basilisk's nest and several small alcoves. He wrinkled his nose as he surveyed the amount of small animal bones strewn about the Chamber. He Vanished the bones and returned to main chamber.

Setting down his bag, he set Sparkle free.

"Be careful, girl. I don't think there is anything else dangerous here, but I don't know for sure," Harry said as he gently set his kitten down on the floor. He laughed as he watched Sparkle crouch down on the floor as she surveyed her surroundings. "I know, it's not the nicest place in the world, but I know no one will find us here. I was afraid if we stayed anywhere in the main castle, we would be found."

He carefully pulled out the Sword of Gryffindor he had Disillusioned that morning and removed the spell on it. He didn't want to get hurt because he couldn't see the sword. As he pulled out the Marauder's Map, Harry said, "Let me make sure there aren't a lot of people around. We can summon Kreacher down here to help us set up a little sleeping area."

Opening the map, Harry was happy to note that most of the castle was fairly empty. Glancing at his watch, he realized the train should be leaving in the next ten minutes so everyone should be on the train. He felt a stab of disappointment when he realized he'd missed his chance to see Ginny.

He was scanning the classrooms when he saw something that made his blood run cold. Ginny was in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom with Amycus and Alecto Carrow. Dropping the map, he grabbed his wand and the sword.

"Kreacher!"

With a soft pop, his elf appeared. Before the elf could even greet his master, Harry yelled, "Take me to Ginny. She's in the Defence classroom."

Kreacher grabbed Harry's hand and transported both of them to Ginny. The first thing he heard was the laughter. Harry and Kreacher had appeared behind the Carrows, who were so intent upon their task they didn't hear him arrive.

"_Crucio_!"

Harry couldn't tell who had yelled it, but he didn't care.

"_Stupefy!_" Harry yelled. He hit the sister first and she went down quickly as she hadn't expected an attack.

"_Crucio_!" Amycus threw the torture curse before he'd even realized who attacked his sister.

Harry dove out of the way and sent a Cutting Curse back towards the Death Eater.

"Kreacher, get Ginny out of here! Go back to where I was!" Harry yelled as he dodged an Entrail-Expelling Curse.

"_Confringo_!" Harry yelled as he blasted apart the desk Amycus was hiding behind.

He felt the sting of a Cutting Curse slash into his leg and turning, he exchanged spellfire with Alecto, who had awoken from her Stunner.

"_Crucio_!" Harry was unable to evade the spell this time and felt the intense pain of the torture curse.

"It's him! It's Potter!" Alecto yelled. Harry had a brief reprieve as Amycus turned to his sister. Alecto pushed up her sleeve and Harry realized she was getting ready to use her Dark Mark to contact Voldemort. Pulling the sword from his belt, Harry swung the blade, cleanly slicing off her arm at the elbow.

The warmth of her blood sprayed over him as her arm fell. She stared at the stump where her arm had been and screamed. Her scream was cut short as she fell dead to the floor. Harry stared at her in confusion before he realized the Basilisk venom embedded in the sword must have killed her.

He felt Amycus coming up behind him and he just reacted, swinging the sword, which again found its mark. The sword caught Amycus across the neck, slicing across his artery and sending a spray of blood into the air. Harry jumped out of the way to avoid Amycus's body as he fell.

Harry fell back against the closest desk, panting. He looked around the familiar room and it looked like a massacre had taken place. Blood pooled under both bodies and the arterial spray from their wounds had splattered across the room, even hitting the ceiling above where Amycus had been standing. Harry turned his head and vomited next to the desk. He rested his head on the desk after he'd emptied his stomach.

"Kreacher!" Harry was surprised at how hoarse his voice sounded.

His elf appeared and whisked him back to the Chamber of Secrets.


	9. Chapter 8  Ginny

Pansy slipped into the tiny loo on the train and reluctantly swallowed another vial of Polyjuice Potion. The Slytherin shuddered as she swallowed the potion. At least it got a little bit easier to swallow with each dose. It was currently three hours into the trip from London. She had been able to fool Ginny's friends, but she had hoped to be able to discover something useful to report back to her father and so far that was not the case. All she had discovered was that she truly hated blood traitors. It was disgusting to listen to them rail on against the Ministry and the Headmaster.

Looking in the mirror, she made a face at Ginny's face. Fluffing her copper hair, Pansy took a deep breath before rejoining her compartment. She paused outside the door, taking in the scene. Seamus, Neville, and Demelza had started a game of Exploding Snap. Luna Lovegood was sitting near the window reading that crackpot magazine of her father's. Pansy had to make an effort to remember to call her Luna, not Loony. Several others had visited them over the course of the journey. Lavender and the Patil twins, Michael Corner, and Terry Boot had all stopped by at some point during the trip.

Pansy reentered the compartment and sat down opposite Luna. She watched the game quietly until Lavender and Parvati Patil came back to visit.

"So who do you think will be picking you up?" Lavender asked, turning to Pansy.

Her mind racing, Pansy tried to think of an appropriate answer. "I'm not sure. I think my mum will be coming."

Moving her arm, Pansy pushed back her hair. Lavender looked at her curiously. "Ginny, where is your bracelet?"

Caught off guard, Pansy replied sharply, "I didn't want to wear it today."

From the reactions of the others in the compartment, Pansy realized that was the wrong thing to say. She wracked her brain trying to remember if Ginny had been wearing a bracelet, but she didn't recall.

Neville and Seamus turned towards the girls while Demelza discreetly cast a Silencing and Locking charm on the door.

"Ginny, what did my Grandmother get me the summer before last?" Neville asked, fingering his wand.

Pansy stared at him in confusion. _How in Merlin's name was she supposed to know the answer for that?_ "I don't remember."

Before she even realized what happened, Pansy found herself bound and disarmed. Someone had pulled the shades on the window and Pansy felt a frissom of fear run through her.

"Who are you?" Neville asked, aggressively.

"What do you mean?" Pansy demanded angrily. "I'm Ginny Weasley. Who do you think I am? Let me go."

"Do you like Hippogriffs or Hungarian Horntails?" Lavender asked.

"Why are you asking these nonsense questions?" Pansy asked.

"Where is Ginny?" Neville demanded.

Pansy glared at the others. "I am Ginny!"

"I don't know who you are," Seamus growled. "But I do know you are not Ginny Weasley."

Luna, who had observed the proceedings silently, said, "If she is taking Polyjuice Potion, it should wear off in twenty-five minutes. She last left the compartment a little over thirty minutes ago."

The two boys exchanged a look. "So we wait," Neville said.

* * *

Kreacher transported Harry back to the Chamber. Thanking the elf, Harry ran over to where Ginny was curled up on the floor.

"Kreacher, can you take us to the prefects' bathroom?" Harry asked urgently.

When Kreacher nodded, Harry lifted his still stunned girlfriend in his arms and the three were transported to the prefects' bathroom.

"Can you get us towels and something to change into?" Harry whispered.

Not bothering to respond, Kreacher disappeared.

Turning his attention to his girlfriend, Harry was upset to notice the bruising around her face. He hastily conjured up a cushioned bench and laid her down.

Kneeling beside her, he awakened her. _"Rennervate!"_

Ginny woke with a gasp. She looked around frantically and her eyes widened when she saw a blood stained Harry Potter leaning over her.

"Are you okay, love?" he asked softly, his throat still sore from yelling.

She nodded silently. Harry could see she was trying to figure out what was happening. Before he could say anything else, Kreacher appeared next to him.

"Here you go, Master Harry," the elf said, holding out clothing for the young couple. After placing the clothes on the counter, the house-elf snapped his fingers to summon a pitcher of water and two vials of potion. Handing a vial of potion to each of them, Kreacher said, "Drink your potions. I have secured the door so it will not open. I am setting up living quarters for you in that place. Call me when you are done, Master Harry."

Bowing to the couple, Kreacher disappeared with a small pop.

Harry downed his potion and gestured for Ginny to do the same. The appearance of Kreacher had gone a long way toward convincing her it was truly Harry in front of her. Looking at the vial, Ginny recognized the post-Cruciatus potion. Making a face, she swallowed the potion and took the proffered glass of water.

When she still didn't say anything, Harry put his hand on her arm and asked, "Ginny, are you okay? It really is me."

Reaching up, Harry unbuttoned his shirt with one hand and opened it to show her the Hungarian Horntail tattoo on his chest. Startled, Ginny reached up her hand and traced the dragon.

"You actually got it?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

"Yeah, I was talking to Fleur and she told me how she and Viktor both got tattoos in honour of Cedric. They wanted to take me, but I was underage at the time. So this summer, she took me one afternoon so I could get my tattoo. She has a Welsh Green tattooed on her shoulder and Viktor has a Chinese Fireball on his arm," Harry explained.

Reaching up, he gently cupped her cheek. "What happened, baby? Why weren't you on the train?"

"I…They tricked me," Ginny said softly, tears welling up in her eyes as the trauma of the past hour crashed over her. "Malfoy, Zabini, and Pansy. They ambushed me and took me to Carrow. They w-were going to turn me over to him - to Tom. I don't know why. They said he wanted me.

"Oh Merlin," she said in a horrified whisper. "Pansy took Polyjuice Potion. She's taking my place. My family..."

"Kreacher!" Harry called. When the little elf appeared, Harry said, "Can you get onto the Hogwarts Express?"

"Yes, Master."

"Pansy Parkinson is taking Polyjuice Potion to take on Ginny's appearance. We need to make sure she doesn't go home with Ginny's family," Harry explained.

"Of course, Master." Looking over at Ginny, the elf reassured her, "Don't worry, Mistress Ginny."

"I was so scared," Ginny said. "They…they took m-my clothes off and I didn't know what they were going to do. Zabini said he wouldn't touch me, but M-Malfoy… I was so scared."

Harry wrapped his arms around her as she started sobbing. "It's okay, baby. You're safe now."

After she calmed slightly, Ginny looked up at him. "What happened? How did you get out of there?"

"I-I killed them," Harry whispered. His hands tightened convulsively on her shoulders. His expressive green eyes showed his mixed emotions. "I didn't even think about it. I just…I wanted to keep you safe and I killed them."

Burying his face in her hair, Harry drew comfort from her embrace. He couldn't say how long they stayed in their embrace, but after a time he pulled back. "I brought us up here because I need to clean up and I figured you would want to also."

Ginny blushed as Harry walked over to the huge white marble tub. After examining the taps, he opened one and watched as the tub filled with both warm water and the scent of lavender.

Without looking at her, Harry said shyly, "If you want to get in first, I won't look until you say it is okay."

"Okay," Ginny replied, her mouth suddenly dry. When Harry turned his back, Ginny quickly stripped off the cloak and her underclothes and dove under the bubbles. Once she was sure she was covered, she said, "Okay, your turn."

Closing her eyes, Ginny could hear the rustle of clothing, followed by a soft splash. "I'm in," Harry said quietly.

Ginny opened her eyes to see Harry dunking his head under the water at the other end of the tub. When he lifted his head, he smiled at her. "You know, I really can't see you very well without my glasses anyway. You're kind of a reddish blur over there."

She laughed. "That's kind of a relief."

Scrubbing herself clean, Ginny kept looking over at Harry. He looked different than when she'd last seen him. He had lost weight and his hair was longer. Blushing, she had to admit that she really liked the tattoo. It suddenly hit her what was wrong.

"Harry, where's Ron and Hermione?"

She could see his face close. He looked down into the water, concentrating on scrubbing the blood out of his hair. "I…they…We got in a fight and they left."

"What?" Ginny screamed. The look of absolute despair and confusion in his eyes made her calm her temper down considerably. "What happened, sweetie?"

"We…I'll explain our mission in a few minutes, but as you know we were left a mission by Professor Dumbledore. We had to track down…certain items to make it possible to kill Tom. We found one thing right away, but we…we were living in a tent just the three of us and we didn't have any food and not much money so we were hungry most of the time. R-Ron would get so angry. We overheard some people talking about you, Neville and Luna trying to steal the sword." Harry gestured to the bloody sword where it lay on the bathroom floor. "One of the group we overheard was a goblin and he said that the sword in the office was fake. Hermione and I were energized thinking that maybe Dumbledore had hidden the sword somewhere for us to find."

Harry paused and swam over to the corner where the towels were kept. Ginny averted her gaze when she realized he was going to stand. He quickly got out of the tub and while he ducked behind the screen to dress, Ginny hurriedly got out of the tub and dressed herself. She settled on the bench Harry had conjured, taking a moment to admire the strength of the magic it would take to make such a solid object.

The redhead looked up when Harry crossed to her. She could see the tears swimming in his eyes and she pulled him down to join her.

"So what happened next?" she asked gently.

"Ron got mad and started yelling at me. He said…he said I didn't know what I was doing and I didn't have a plan. I…Gin, I swear I didn't lie to them. I told them everything that Dumbledore told me. I told them we didn't know where to find the other Horcruxes. That's why Dumbledore showed me so much of Tom's life so I could figure out where he would have hidden things. I didn't…They didn't have to come with me." Harry looked so heartbroken that Ginny could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as well. "I told them I would go alone, but they insisted on coming with me. Hermione laughed at me when I tried to make them stay behind. Why did they do that if they were just going to leave when it got rough?"

Ginny wrapped her arms around him as he sobbed out his confusion on her shoulder. Tears flowed to her face as well. She was angry at Dumbledore for dumping this all on a seventeen year old boy and she was furious with her brother and Hermione.

After Harry's sobs lessened, he wiped his tears as he pulled back. "S-sorry, I just still don't understand. When Ron and I were yelling at each other, Hermione put up a shield. He stormed out of the tent and she followed him. I waited and finally I went to look for them, but they were gone. I waited around the next morning, but they didn't come back. Hermione had all of our supplies. I didn't have any food or supplies or even a change of clothes. So I left."

Ginny stared at him in astonishment. "So they just left you there without anything? Where did you go?"

"I…I realized that they were right in some ways. I needed to be better prepared. I've always assumed that Hermione would be there with the answer if I didn't know. I never tried as hard as I could in school. Partly because I had other things on my mind and partly because…well when I was little, I would get in trouble if I got better grades than Dudley so I just got used to not doing so well. Once I became friends with Hermione, I don't know. It just seemed like she would get upset if I got better grades than her." Harry reached out for Ginny's hand.

"I went back to my relatives' house. I heard during the time I was at the Burrow that it was empty so I stayed there for a while…I made a list of the kinds of spells I needed to know and I basically spent a few weeks there, studying and practicing. I had shelter and water, but the electricity had been turned off so it was cold. I ran into Alicia Spinnet in London. She works in the Magical library."

Ginny nodded. "I'd heard she got a job there."

"See, I didn't even know there was a Magical library in London," Harry said. "I was really unprepared. She went out and got me some supplies and clothes while I was researching."

"Thank Merlin someone was there for you," Ginny murmured as she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"So what are you doing here?" Ginny asked.

Before Harry could answer, Kreacher popped back into the bathroom. "Mistress Ginny, your friends had already caught the person pretending to be you and are planning to turn her over to the Aurors. Master Harry, I've prepared an area for you. I think you should go down there before they find the bodies."

Turning to Ginny, Harry said, "I was planning on staying in the Chamber of Secrets because no one else can get down there. What…Do…Will you come with me?"

Ginny paled when she heard the phrase Chamber of Secrets. She really didn't want to go back there, but Harry was right- it did make a good hiding spot. Too many people could get into the Room of Requirement to make that a good hiding spot. Looking up into Harry's concerned eyes, she made herself smile. "I'll come. J-just promise you won't let go of my hand for a while."

Harry's eyes softened and he leaned over and kissed her gently. "I promise."

Picking up the sword, he quickly cleaned the blood off of it. Reaching for her hand, he nodded to Kreacher. "We're ready."

* * *

Bill and Molly Weasley waited with the hundreds of other families on Platform 9 ¾. The atmosphere on the platform was quiet, not the usual boisterous crowd waiting to pick up their children. King's Cross had been full of holiday cheer until crossing through the barrier onto the Magical platform. Molly shivered as she was confronted with the realities of the changing Wizarding world. She couldn't wait to get her daughter and go back to her own house to celebrate the holidays.

The scarlet train steamed into view and Bill and Molly surged forward with the rest of the crowd eager to reclaim their offspring. Slowly the crowd started thinning out as reunited families hurried off the platform. Molly nodded to Xenophilius Lovegood and Augusta Longbottom, who were also waiting. To her dismay, she also saw Lucius and Draco Malfoy, both of whom shot a smirk in Molly's direction. It angered her to see so many Death Eaters strolling around. She had also seen the Goyles, Crabbes, and Notts.

Yelling from the end of the train drew her attention and she watched as Pansy Parkinson was escorted over to her father by a pair of Aurors. Another pair of Aurors appeared to be restraining several older students in one of the last cars. As soon as Pansy and her father Apparated off of the platform, the Aurors released the students. Molly was surprised to recognize two of Ron's dorm mates – Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnegan.

She watched as Neville approached his grandmother and greeted her. Turning back to the train, she waited for her daughter to appear.

"Mrs. Weasley."

Molly turned to see the two Gryffindor boys standing in front of her. They had obviously been in some type of altercation. Neville had bruises along his knuckles and Seamus was sporting a black eye.

"Hello Neville, Seamus," Molly replied, smiling warmly at the boys. She noticed in the background that Xenophilius and Luna had left and Augusta and a woman she took to be Seamus's mother was approaching them.

"Mrs. Weasley, we need to talk to you privately," Neville said nervously.

Molly looked back at the train expecting to see her daughter's bright red hair, but instead saw no one else leaving the train. She looked at the boys. "But my Ginny. Where is my Ginny?"

She felt Bill step up behind her and lay his hands on her shoulders. He spoke to the boys. "Can you come back to the Burrow with us? Your mum and grandmother are welcome as well."

He pulled a Portkey from his pocket.

"That would be fine, Mr. Weasley," Augusta Longbottom said as she reached the small group. Mrs. Finnegan nodded in agreement and they soon landed in the front yard of the Burrow.

Bill gestured them into the house and the blessedly empty kitchen. Molly immediately turned to the boys. "Where is Ginny?"

Neville looked around uncomfortably. "I don't know, Mrs. Weasley. We got separated this morning and it seemed like she joined us on the train. But…but it wasn't her."

"She wasn't acting right," Seamus put in, "and then she didn't have her bracelet. We asked her some of our security questions and she didn't know the answers."

Molly sat down heavily at the kitchen table. Bill looked at the boys. "Is that what the commotion was about?"

"Yeah, we had Pansy Parkinson restrained, caught using Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Ginny. The Auror just laughed it off as a joke. We had broken all of the vials of the potion because we didn't want anyone to be able to use it, so they said we didn't have any proof," Neville explained angrily.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Bill asked.

"This morning. We had just left the common room when someone brought her a note from Snape, asking her to meet him in the Potions' classroom. She asked us to take her belongings to the train and said she'd meet us there," Seamus replied.

Bill noticed for the first time that Neville had set Ginny's bag and Arnold, her pygmy puff down inside the door. He strode over to the fire and after tossing in some Floo powder, called out, "Minerva McGonagall."

Minerva appeared in the Floo and after seeing who was there, stepped through to the Burrow.

"Molly, I was just about to contact you. I can't stay long. The Carrows were murdered today, Severus found them just a while ago. I just got back to my office when an elf pops into my quarters and hands me this."

She handed them a folded piece of parchment that simply read, "Ginny is safe." The note was not signed except by a lightning bolt.


	10. Chapter 9 Missing

Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry and buried her head in his chest as Kreacher took them back to the Chamber of Secrets.

"Wow! Kreacher, you did a fantastic job," Harry said as he looked around.

They were standing in the Chamber of Secrets, but the area where they were was surrounded by large screens covered in elaborate tapestries. Within the blocked off area, there was a small sitting area consisting of a long blue and gold couch and two comfortable looking armchairs that looked as though they would be at home in the Ravenclaw common room. There was a low table in front of the couch as well as a large table and two chairs like those found in the library. His bag had been placed on the large table. Behind another smaller screen, Harry could see a large four poster bed with Gryffindor hangings and a wardrobe similar to the one he had been using for the past six years in school.

Still holding tightly onto Ginny's hand, Harry spun around. Kreacher had managed to clean the stone floor and light scented candles to try to dispel the musty, moldy smell of the Chamber.

"Thank you, Master." Kreacher bowed. "I left the Basilisk where it lay. I didn't know what you wanted me to do with it."

"No, that's fine," Harry responded. "Do you think you could bring us some food?"

"Of course, Master Harry." Kreacher disappeared with a pop.

Harry looked down at Ginny, who still had her eyes closed and was clinging tightly to him. He reached down and smoothed back her hair, tucking it behind her ear. His gaze darkened as he took in the assorted bruises on her face, neck, and upper arms. Leaning down, he dropped soft kisses on the bruises he could see. He gathered her into his arms.

"It's okay, love. Open your eyes."

Taking a deep breath, Ginny opened her eyes. She smiled as she took in the changes Kreacher had wrought. While the serpent covered pillars were still visible, the overall feeling of gloom and oppression she associated with the Chamber was missing. To her surprise, a small gray kitten ran over to them. Harry smiled and leaned over to pick up the kitten.

"Hey, girl." Turning to Ginny, he said, "Ginny, this is my kitten, Sparkle."

Reaching out, Ginny pet the little kitten. "Hi, Sparkle. I'm Ginny."

Guiding Ginny over to the couch, the pair sat down as Kreacher returned to the Chamber. He carried a platter of sandwiches, as well as dishes of crisps, fruit and biscuits. There was a pitcher of pumpkin juice and to his dismay, Harry recognized a vial of Blood-Replenishing Potion. The young couple settled down to eat. Ginny had a hard time taking her eyes off of Harry.

After she'd eaten her fill, she said, "I can't believe you are here. I've missed you so much."

Kissing her softly, Harry said, "So what has been going on here?"

"I hate this place," Ginny said. "It's been so awful. The Carrows are horrible. They've chained students in the dungeon and routinely use the Cruciatus for punishment. The Slytherins have been strutting around like they own the school. Slytherin upperclassmen have been 'helping' with discipline. They aren't as skilled at the Cruciatus as the Carrows, but they are getting better."

Ginny shivered in remembrance, but continued, "Kreacher has been great. When the Carrows deny us food, he brings food and drink to the common rooms. He makes sure we have potions. I don't know what we would have done without him."

"I'm glad I could do that at least," Harry said. "I'm sorry I left you in this mess."

Ginny shook her head. "Harry, they would have targeted me if we were together or not. You didn't expect me to sit back and obey them, did you?"

Harry chuckled. "No. I told Ron and Hermione on September first that you were probably with Luna and Neville plotting mayhem."

"You were right." Ginny laughed. She looked over at him. "So you were thinking about me?"

"Ginny, I can honestly say that I have thought about you every single day since we left. I wanted to be with you so badly," Harry said.

"So what about now?" Ginny challenged. "Are you going to send me home?"

Harry looked over at the tapestry on the wall. "I…I can't. I really wish I could keep you someplace safe, but there isn't such place. I guess I'm just really selfish, but I want you with me. Will you stay with me?"

"As what?" Ginny challenged again. "A friend, a buddy?"

Harry turned his intense green gaze on her. "Ginny Weasley, will you be my girlfriend? I've been miserable without you. I shouldn't have broken up with you, but I just wanted you safe. Obviously that wasn't one of my better ideas."

Ginny threw her arms around him and kissed him softly. "Yes, I will be your girlfriend."

She settled herself on his lap and kissed him deeply. He ran his hand through her hair, bringing her closer. Harry felt a sense of completeness he hadn't felt since he'd last kissed her, so long ago on his birthday. He lost track of time as he spent time reacquainting himself with his girlfriend.

A long time later, Harry pulled away and surveyed his girlfriend. Her lips were swollen and her hair a mess around her. Both of their shirts lay abandoned on the floor and Harry was admiring the view. He ran his hand across her stomach, touching the belly button ring with his finger.

"I really can't believe you got this," Harry said. "It is amazing. When did you get this done?"

Ginny laughed. She knew Harry loved her abs and he had mentioned how sexy she would look with a ring. "My dear sister-in-law was quite busy. Not only did she take you to get that incredibly sexy tattoo, she also took me to get this ring. We were out shopping and I saw a shop that would do piercings. She saw me looking at the rings and told me if I wanted one, she would sign for me."

Harry looked a little more closely at the ring. It was two dangling hearts, one was a red stone, the other a light green.

"They are our birthstones," Ginny explained. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "So, what are you doing here?"

Sighing, Harry grabbed his shirt and handed it to her. "I won't be able to talk to you without your shirt on."

Ginny giggled and complied. Pouring himself a cup of juice, Harry took a minute to organize his thoughts.

"I mentioned how Dumbledore was showing me memories of Tom's past. The reason for that is…the prophecy, the one the Death Eaters wanted, it said that I had…that I am the only one with the power to defeat him." Harry paused for a minute.

Reaching out for his hand, Ginny said, "That is not all that surprising, is it?"

"I guess not, but I sure was surprised," Harry said. "Tom, as you know, has always been scared of death. He has tried his best to avoid it. He created these things called Horcruxes, which basically are pieces of his soul that he hid in special objects. This is how he was able to survive the Killing Curse when it rebounded on him. It is very deep Dark Magic. You have to kill someone in order to rip your soul into pieces."

Ginny gasped. "He ripped his soul into pieces?"

"Seven of them," Harry replied.

"So this is what you've been doing? Searching for these pieces of his soul?" Ginny asked.

"Yes. Dumbledore had figured out what he used to hide his soul." Harry looked deeply into her eyes. "His first Horcrux was his diary."

Ginny jumped up off of his lap. "His diary? I was writing to a piece of his soul?"

"Yes. That's why he was able to possess you. It was more than a memory. It was a piece of his soul," Harry explained.

Ginny sat back down on the sofa looking slightly ill. "Okay, so what else?"

Reaching out for her hand, Harry continued, "Tom wanted significant items to use for his Horcruxes. Professor Dumbledore and I talked about this a lot and think we have figured out what most of his Horcruxes are. He used the diary, Slytherin's ring, Slytherin's locket, Hufflepuff's cup, his snake Nagini, and we aren't sure what the last one is – we think it is something of Ravenclaw's."

"So how do you destroy one?" Ginny asked.

"Basilisk venom is one way. The sword was impregnated with the venom when the Basilisk was killed so the sword can be used to destroy a Horcrux," Harry explained.

Ginny smiled softly at the way Harry made it sound like he had no idea how the Basilisk had gotten killed. "Have you found any of them?"

"Yeah, well Professor Dumbledore found the ring and we found the locket at the Ministry. I…I had a run in with Nagini last week and I killed him," Harry said. "That was the problem when we were traveling. I don't know where the cup is or even what artifact of Ravenclaw's he used. I think he hid something here at Hogwarts, but Hermione kept telling me that was impossible."

Harry looked up at Ginny and she could see the determination shining in his eyes. "I don't think it's impossible. I think that he left something here when he came here to apply for the Defence job. I figured that during the Christmas break would be a good time to come. There would be less people here."

Walking over to the table, Harry rummaged through his bag until he found the locket. "This is Slytherin's locket."

Ginny gasped in recognition. Harry explained how they had broken into the Ministry and stolen the locket from Umbridge. "The locket is horrible. It plays on your worst fears and makes you doubt yourself. I think that is part of why Ron was so miserable. He…he had such a bad reaction to the locket."

He held the locket out to Ginny. "Do you want to destroy it? You of all people have earned the right to destroy a Horcrux."

"W-what do I need to do?" she asked as she took the locket.

Harry beckoned her over to an area outside the screens. He gestured for her to set the locket down on a large stone. "Okay, I'm going to open the locket. When I do, stab it."

Ginny nodded nervously. She took the Sword of Gryffindor from Harry. He closed his eyes and whispered in Parseltongue, "_Open_."

The locket swung open revealing two glass panes. Behind the panes were red eyes like Voldemort's. Ginny shuddered as she heard his cold high voice. _"What have we here? Ginevra, it has been too long."_

"Ginny, stab it!" Harry yelled over the sound of Voldemort's voice.

Ginny stared at the locket in horror as the voice continued, _"He doesn't love you, you know. He just feels guilty. He won't stick around. You'll be left all alone. After all, who would want you? You are tainted. You are still mine."_

With a scream, Ginny brought the sword down on the locket. She dropped the sword when the locket let out a loud scream. Harry reached out for her and swung her into his arms. He carried her back over to the couch.

Wrapping his arms around her, he tried to comfort her as she cried into his shoulder. "It's okay, love. You know what he said isn't true. I love you. I love you. I won't leave you, I promise."

Ginny wiped her tears away. "Do you mean that?"

"What, love?"

"You love me?" she asked shakily.

Cupping her face with his hand, he wiped the last of her tears away. "I love you. I love you so much it hurts. I'm sorry I haven't told you before. I…I've never been in love before and I was scared to tell you. You have such a big heart and you just…you make people feel good about themselves – Luna, Colin, Neville, me. I love that mischievous spark you have. The fact that you love Quidditch as much as I do is amazing. I never feel uncomfortable around you. Talking to you is so easy. I wish I'd noticed you earlier."

Looking into his expressive green eyes, Ginny could almost feel his love. "I love you. I really do. When I was little, I had such a crush on you. When I first met you, I…I couldn't separate you from the character in stories my dad used to tell me. When you saved me, I…it just seemed like you were a hero right out of a storybook. I'm sure I made you uncomfortable. After the Yule Ball, I realized you would never look at me if all I did was blush and run away from you. Hermione told me I need to relax around you, look at some other boys. Date some other boys and really discover who I was myself. I found that I could act more like myself around you and I really liked that. During the D.A., I really started falling in love with you all over again. You are so brave and passionate and such a great leader."

Harry cut her off with an open mouthed kiss. They stayed occupied like that for some time. Ginny pulled back when she realized how heated they were getting. "Love, I think we need to slow down."

She looked into his eyes that were the darkest she has ever seen them. He nodded and pulled her close. "Can I just hold you for a minute?"

Eventually, Harry got up and opened his bag. He set his books and notes out on the table and stored his clothes in the wardrobe. Kreacher had brought Ginny's trunk down, as well as the rest of her belongings from her dorm room so she took some time putting her things away. She was going through her trunk to see what she had when she heard a muffled moan. Turning, she saw Harry fall to his knees.

Harry felt as though his scar were on fire. He reached for his forehead, which felt as though it split open. He heard a voice in his head…

"_What do you mean they are dead?"_

He saw Snape kneeling on the stone floor in front of him.

"They were killed. I don't know how," Snape said, keeping his eyes on the floor.

"What about the girl?"

Snape glanced up. "She is gone."

Looking around the room, he saw Malfoy crouched toward the back of the room.

"Boy, come here."

"Yes, my lord." Draco knelt in front on him.

"Do you know what happened?"

"No, my lord. We got the girl and delivered her to Professor Carrow. Pansy's deception was discovered, but not for several hours. When Blaise and I left, Ginny was curled up on the floor. She didn't have her wand or any kind of weapon, my lord," Draco explained nervously.

"Ginny did not make it on the train?"

"No, my lord," Draco replied.

"So I've lost two of my Death Eaters and the girl is missing?"

Draco nodded.

"_Crucio!"_

Harry curled up on the floor, trying to calm his breathing. The pain in his head was slowly receding.

"Harry." He felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. "Come on, my love, you should lie down."

"He knows."

"Tom?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, he knows the Carrows are dead and you are missing." He looked up at her, his eyes glassy with the pain. "Wait, we need to let them know you are safe."

Ginny nodded and hurried over to the table for a quill and a piece of parchment. Handing it to Harry, he hastily scrawled a note letting them know Ginny was safe. He signed it simply with a lightning bolt.

"Kreacher!"

When the elf appeared, Harry handed him the note. "I want you to give this to Professor McGonagall. Make sure she is alone."

Ginny helped him over to the bed. He shyly stripped off his jeans and climbed in. Ginny leaned over to give him a kiss.

"Will you lay down with me?" he asked quietly.

Blushing, Ginny nodded. She also stripped off her jeans, leaving her in just her underclothes and Harry's shirt. She climbed into bed with him. The two fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms.

* * *

Remus reached out for the note. "This is it? After weeks of no news, he writes Ginny is safe?"

"Is it his writing?" Bill asked from the corner.

"Yes," Remus and Minerva answered together.

"Does that mean that he was at Hogwarts today?" Remus asked.

Minerva sighed. "I don't know. No one reported seeing him and Severus would certainly have been one of the first to accuse him if he believed Harry was involved."

Glancing at her watch, Minerva said, "I need to get back. Severus went to…share the news. I don't know what will happen when he gets back."

Several hours later, an impromptu meeting was taking place at the Burrow. Arthur Weasley had returned from the Ministry with news. The Auror department was taking the stance that Pansy's involvement was simply a prank taken a bit too far and Ginny would show up eventually. The lead Auror on the case seemed to feel Ginny was sneaking off to meet with a boy and would return home safe and sound. After this revelation, Arthur slipped some Calming Draught and Dreamless Sleep Potion into Molly's tea. He felt she didn't need to hear this conversation.

The twins showed up after their shop closed and brought Alicia with them. While Mrs. Longbottom and Mrs. Finnegan had returned home, both Neville and Seamus were happy to stay and do what they could to help. Hermione and Ron had an awkward reunion with their classmates as they tried to explain how they'd gotten separated from Harry.

In the absence of Molly, Bill and Fleur managed to get a simple meal of beef stew and bread prepared and on the table.

Tonks turned to Neville. "Tell me again what happened when Ginny got the note this morning."

"We had all just left the common room and were ready to head down to the train. A little girl from Hufflepuff approached Ginny with a note from Snape. She read the note and asked us to take her stuff to the train," Neville explained.

"Do you know who the girl was?"

"Not by name. I think she's a second year Hufflepuff."

"Did Ginny seem upset about the note?" Kingsley asked.

"Not upset, just…aggravated that she had to meet with him," Seamus answered.

Tonks looked over at Kingsley and he gestured for her to continue. "I don't mean to seem indelicate, but is it possible she went off to meet with someone?"

"No!" Neville and Seamus answered immediately.

"First she would never make us worry like that," Neville said. "Plus she just wouldn't do that."

"The students questioned by the Aurors indicated that she is…quite popular with the boys and they weren't surprised she would sneak off to meet someone," Kingsley said quietly.

"What?" There was an explosion of noise at Kingsley's statement. Ginny's brothers were furious at the aspirations on her character.

A whistle pierced the noise and everyone turned to see Neville standing on his chair. "I am sure the students who the Aurors spoke with are Slytherins. Ginny is not like that at all and I think most people know that."

"Does she have a boyfriend?" Tonks asked.

There was a moment of silence. Neville and Seamus exchanged a look. "Yes."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed, speaking up for the first time. "Who is she seeing?"

"Harry," Neville said quietly.

"He broke up with her," Ron said heatedly. "He promised he'd stay away from her."

"Has he been in contact with her?" Remus asked eagerly.

"Not since her birthday," Neville explained. "But he sent his elf to look after her. He responds to her orders."

"Kreacher?" Hermione said icily. "She is using Kreacher?"

"Yes, Hermione. She is using Kreacher to get us food when the Carrows denied us and to get us potions when we need them," Seamus said almost angrily. "Without Kreacher, I don't know what we would have done. She hasn't been abusing him or anything."

"Did she see him on her birthday?" Remus asked.

Seamus shook his head. "No, she didn't see him. That's when he sent Kreacher to her for the first time. He sent her a ruby and diamond bracelet. That's actually how we knew for sure that the Ginny on the train was an imposter. She didn't have the bracelet on and then she didn't know the answers to any of our security questions."

"Security questions?" Kingsley asked.

"Yeah, she got the idea from Harry. Security questions are a series of questions that only our small group would know how to answer to prove we are who we say we are," Neville explained.

Turning to Hermione, Remus asked, "Would Harry go to Hogwarts?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I thought we talked him out of it. He had this idea that he could find what he was looking for in Hogwarts. I don't see how You-Know-Who could have hidden something in Hogwarts that Professor Dumbledore never found. Harry gets these ideas in his head sometimes that don't make a lot of sense. The last time he was like this was at the Department of Mysteries and we know how well that turned out."

"Actually, Hermione, last year he was trying to convince anyone who would listen that Draco Malfoy was a Death Eater and we all blew him off," Remus said harshly. "I think we know how that turned out."

Hermione looked slightly ashamed, but did not respond.

"So could she have planned to meet Harry?" Tonks asked.

"I don't think so," Neville said. "She wouldn't make us worry like this. Plus why would they have killed the Carrows?"

Kingsley sighed. "I need to get back to the Ministry. I don't know where Ginny could be. Robards is arranging to search the castle. If she is there, we will find her. I can't imagine that either of them would have killed the Carrows. I saw the classroom. It was a bloody mess."

As he stood, he turned to Arthur. "Can I speak to you outside for a moment?"

Arthur stood and walked the Auror to the Apparition spot for the Burrow. Kingsley sighed. "Arthur, what are you going to do with those two?"

"Ron and Hermione, you mean?"

"Yes. If anyone from the Ministry comes around, Ron will need to make a miraculous recovery and Hermione will need to be gone. Have you given any thought what to do with them?" Kingsley asked. "You might not have much time. I hate to say this, Arthur, but I don't think it wise to send Ron back to Hogwarts. He is angry and feels he has something to prove. That is not a good combination."

Arthur turned back to look at his family's home. He had known this would come up eventually, but had hoped to put it off until after the holidays. "Perhaps they could stay with Bill and Fleur until after the holidays. After that, we can make arrangements for them to stay with Fleur's family in France."


	11. Chapter 10  Ravenclaw's Diadem

Severus Snape slowly made his way to his office. He, like all of the Death Eaters present that night, had been subjected to the Cruciatus several times. When the current headmaster entered his office, he went straight to his desk. Pulling out the drawer, he quickly downed a vial of post-Cruciatus Potion that he kept there for just such occasions. Sinking into his chair, he waited for the potion to start working.

A knock on the door made him look up.

"Come in."

He sat up straighter as Gawain Robards and Kingsley Shacklebolt walked in. "Welcome, gentlemen. I've been expecting you."

Robards took the seat closest to the desk, while Kingsley stayed standing further away.

"A horrible business, Snape," Robards began. "Both of the Carrows were killed by poison."

"Poison? What do you mean? They were obviously hacked to pieces. I saw Alecto's arm cut off. There was blood all over the place. Amycus's blood sprayed up to the ceiling," Snape sneered at Robards.

"It is true. They were cut up with some type of sharp bladed weapon – probably a sword. They probably would have died from the wounds that were inflicted, but they actually died of poison. Some type of snake venom, my experts tell me," Robards explained. He watched Snape intently, but could not detect any change in his expression.

"So is there any indication of who may have done this?" Snape asked.

"No, sir. But we would like your permission to search the castle."

Snape waved his hand. "Certainly. Most of the students have gone home. There are a few Slytherins staying over the holiday, but all of the other student quarters should be empty. I hope you have more luck here than you did in Godric's Hollow. Several of the students were talking about it. There was some type of disturbance in Godric's Hollow and apparently no Aurors even showed up. That doesn't exactly inspire confidence in the abilities of the Auror squad."

"One more question, Snape," Kingsley spoke up for the first time, ignoring Snape's dig about the abilities of the Aurors. "Do you have any knowledge of the whereabouts of Ginny Weasley?"

Snape raised his eyebrow superciliously. "I assumed she got onto the train. I received a passenger list before the train left and her name was on it."

"She wasn't on the train. Pansy Parkinson used Polyjuice Potion to take her place."

"Kingsley, I thought that had been established as a prank," Robards broke in before Snape could answer.

Ignoring his supervisor, Kingsley locked his eyes on his former comrade. "Professor Snape, are Pansy Parkinson or Ginny Weasley capable of brewing Polyjuice Potion?"

Snape barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes. "No, neither of them are standouts in Potions." He paused and met Kingsley's eye. "Draco Malfoy is probably the only current student capable of making it."

"Are Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson friendly?" Kingsley asked.

"I believe they are seeing each other, if gossip is to be believed," Snape replied. He paused, choosing his words carefully. "I don't believe either of them are particularly friendly with Ginny Weasley. If she did not get on the train, I do not know where she might be. I trust she is being careful. I would imagine that those looking for her would be very persistent."

Kingsley pondered those words before asking, "Do you know of any reason anyone would be looking for her?"

"I imagine it is for her past associations, although I do not know for certain," Snape replied.

As the two Aurors left, Snape turned to the large portrait directly behind the desk. He quickly swung open the portrait and swore softly when he realized the space was empty. Closing the portrait, he glared at the occupant.

"Were you going to tell me the sword is gone?" Snape asked acidly.

"I did not know," Dumbledore replied. "I can assure you no one has opened my portrait."

"If the portrait was not opened, why is the sword gone?"

"It is said the sword will appear to Gryffindors in time of need. That is how we got it in the first place. Perhaps Harry needed it and it appeared for him."

Snape closed his eyes. "What did Robards mean about the snake venom?"

"The Sword of Gryffindor is impregnated with Basilisk venom. It kills very quickly, so it would explain why the Carrows died of poison prior to bleeding to death."

"Basilisk venom?"

"Severus, certainly you must have heard the rumours. Harry killed the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets in his second year with the Sword of Gryffindor. He pulled the sword from the Sorting Hat, which Fawkes had brought to him," Dumbledore explained.

Spinning around, Snape spied the Sorting Hat in the same place he'd left it after the sorting this year. Turning back to the portrait, he asked, "Have you seen Fawkes in here?"

"I have not, but that does not mean he has not been here."

It took a team of Aurors sixteen hours to clear the school. Headmaster Snape had even had Professor Flitwick cast very advanced sensing spells throughout the castle to no avail. Whoever had killed the Carrows appeared to have fled.

* * *

Fleur smiled kindly at Hermione as the part-Veela woman showed the younger witch to her room at Shell Cottage, the beautiful cliff top home of Bill and Fleur Weasley.

"Hermione, I am sorry this has happened to you, but you must understand all of the Muggleborns have had to flee or go underground for their own protection. Tonks' father had to flee and I understand many of your classmates as well. We will all go and celebrate Christmas at the Burrow, but for now it is safer if you and Ron are not there."

Hermione tried to smile at Fleur, but didn't truly manage it. "I do understand and I appreciate this. I just never thought I would be here. I promised Harry I would be with him until the end and…"

Sitting on one of the twin beds, Fleur gestured for Hermione to sit as well. "Would you like to tell me what happened? I mean, really tell me?"

Hermione sat on the bed across from Fleur and for a moment, simply looked out the window. Without looking at the young French beauty, Hermione started talking. "It was awful, much worse than I thought it would be. Harry…I really expected him to have a better plan or more of an idea of where we should go. Once we had some early success, our momentum seemed to falter. We were cold and hungry. I know I get cranky without food and Ron was downright miserable. I never understood how Harry could remain so even tempered with only a handful of mushrooms to eat. It just built up. Ron…he didn't…he's never been in a situation where the food was not readily available and he was so angry and negative all the time. He constantly complained and didn't really help all that much. Harry would try his hardest by catching fish or coming up with our plan for the day."

Pausing, Hermione wiped away the tears that had started to fall. "I…I tried my best. I thought I'd brought everything we needed. I felt like they expected me to have answers I didn't have. Ron was angry at Harry for a while prior to the fight and I know Harry felt guilty. When they had their fight, I've never seen them that angry at each other. I cast a shield between them so they wouldn't hurt each other. Ron yelled at Harry and for once Harry yelled back. He asked Ron why he was still there and Ron…he said he didn't know. Then he turned to me and asked me what I was going to do.

"What was I supposed to say?" she asked Fleur almost pleadingly. "I felt like he wanted me to choose between them. Harry…he's like my brother. He is a very powerful wizard; he is brave and noble. He might not plan very well, but his heart is always in the right place and he's always managed to pull things through in the end. Ron…I…I've had a crush on Ron since my second year. I thought he'd never notice me, but since the summer I felt like he was finally starting to and even liked me as well. But Harry is trying to save the world and how could I turn my back on him?

"When Ron fled the tent, I ran after him. I grabbed his arm just as he left. Everything happened so fast after that with the Snatchers and all. It never crossed my mind that Harry wouldn't still be there," Hermione said.

She chanced a look over at Fleur, who was looking at the floor not giving Hermione a chance to see what she was thinking. When Fleur looked up, her expression was blank. "It must have been very difficult for you. I am sure you miss your parents as well."

Hermione nodded. "I usually don't see them during the school year, but I've been thinking a lot about them this year."

"Hermione, why did you not go back and get Harry once you were safe?" Fleur asked.

She blushed at those words. "I was so worried about Ron and I…I didn't want to fight. Ron was still so angry. He wouldn't have wanted Harry there and Harry would have gotten all stubborn so I just wanted to wait until the next day."

"So in other words, you chose Ron," Fleur said quietly.

Hermione glared at the young witch. "No, I didn't."

"Yes, Hermione, you did. You may not have thought of it like that at the time, but if you look at it from Harry's point of view, Ron asked you to choose and you went with him, leaving Harry on his own. What was he to think?

"I'm not trying to make you feel bad," Fleur hastened to add. "But it seems like you are waiting for him to show up asking for your help. I don't think he will. You left him alone with no supplies. He does not know that you meant to come back for him. He believes that you chose to leave. He will not come back and endanger more people in the process."

* * *

Ginny woke slowly to the feel of paws sinking into her hair. Opening her eyes, she smiled to find Sparkle sitting next to her on the pillow. Reaching out her hand, she scooped up the kitten, snuggling it close to her.

After playing with the kitten for a while, Ginny got up and pulled on her dressing gown. It was the silky blue dressing gown that Fleur had given her prior to her return to school. She had never really worn it before, but the one she usually wore was now at the Burrow. Entering the main living area, she smiled to see Harry sitting at the table.

"Good morning."

Harry smiled and kissed her as she joined him at the table. "Good morning." Gesturing to the food tray on the table, he said, "Please help yourself."

He watched as she took some fruit and cereal. To his dismay, the bruises on her face and upper body were even more visible today. "Kreacher told me the Aurors are searching the castle, so we need to stay down here until they are done. Professor Flitwick is casting some kind of charm that looks for hidden people, but we should be protected down here."

"Okay. Wait, so how long are we down here?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not sure," Harry replied. "They started searching last night. I have no idea how long it would take to search a castle of this size."

Over breakfast, Ginny told Harry about life under Snape. He made a mental note to make sure to thank Neville and Seamus for looking after Ginny when he wasn't around. Not that he would ever tell her that. Harry told Ginny about the progress he'd made in learning and casting spells while he was at his relative's house.

After breakfast, Ginny looked around the small living quarters Kreacher had made for them. "What about…" She trailed off, embarrassed. How was she supposed to ask him about this?

Luckily, Harry seemed to understand what she was talking about. "Kreacher is really amazing."

Taking her by the hand, he led her over to the far corner of the chamber. There were now walls between the last column and the walls of the chamber. "Apparently the elves can make rooms when necessary."

Pushing open the door, Harry showed Ginny a small bathroom. It was nothing like the large bathrooms they were used to on the upper floors, but it had a long counter with two sinks, a toilet and a stand-up shower. "Kreacher said that because this was built underneath a bathroom, he was able to make this for us. It's stocked with soap, shampoo, whatever you need."

Kissing her on the cheek, he left her in the bathroom so she could take care of her needs. She shuddered as she looked at the ragged mess in which Pansy had left her hair. At least she hadn't cut anything near Ginny's face, but the back was very uneven with a chunk missing from the left. Turning around in the mirror, Ginny tried to see how she could fix damage. If she could see it all, she could even it up so it fell past her shoulders.

Giving up, she called Harry. He looked into the bathroom nervously. "What's up, Gin?"

"I need you to help me fix my hair," Ginny explained, showing him the problem. "Can you just cut it straight across here?"

Harry ran his hand reverently through her hair. "Just with a regular Severing Charm?"

"Yes, just gather my hair and cut," Ginny detailed.

Nervously, Harry gathered her hair together and holding the hair away from her body, he cut it off. Ginny fluffed through her hair and examined the results in the mirror. "Does it look even?"

Harry ran his hand along the bottom. "Yeah, I think so."

With a quick kiss, Ginny said, "Thank you."

Blushing, Harry said, "You're welcome." He picked up the small pile of hair from the floor. "I guess we need to destroy this if there are people trying to make Polyjuice Potion."

Piling the hair on the floor, Harry Banished it and left Ginny to finish getting ready.

After she rejoined Harry, he shared his research into the Horcruxes so far. She looked over his notes. "So there are two out there. Hufflepuff's cup and something of that belonged to Ravenclaw, right?"

"Yeah, I've read this book on Ravenclaw. It seems that the two items she was known for was the golden quill she used to design the ever-changing floor plan and this diadem that is supposed to bestow wisdom on the wearer."

Ginny wrinkled her nose. "What's diadem?"

Harry laughed. "I had to look that up myself. A diadem is a type of crown or tiara. But unfortunately it has been lost for a long, long time."

Reaching for the journals he had set out on the desk, he handed them to Ginny. "These are Dumbledore's journals. If it was important for me to read them, I want you to read them also."

That set the pattern for the next several days. They would practice their spell work or read together curled up on the couch. For Harry, he was happy to have Ginny back in his life, but also he was just happy to have someone to share his ideas with, someone who didn't make him feel stupid. He had always known that Ginny was smart, but he discovered a new appreciation for her intelligence. While Hermione was very book smart, Ginny was very intuitive, easily making connections that eluded him.

Ginny was thrilled that Harry was finally letting her into his world. For so long she'd felt like an outsider. She felt he shared most everything with Hermione and Ron, but very little with anyone else. The redhead discovered a new appreciation for Harry's work ethic. To her shame, she'd let Hermione's perception of Harry's grades colour her perceptions. He was intelligent and hard working. If he didn't understand something, he worked hard until he did. Unlike her brothers, he actually listened to her and seemed to value her opinion. He was also an excellent teacher.

* * *

It was two days before Christmas when Kreacher felt it was safe for them to venture into the school – covered by the Invisibility Cloak of course. They had already decided not to split up while in the castle.

Turning to Harry, Ginny said, "We should go to Ravenclaw Tower. I remember Luna telling me that there is a statue of Ravenclaw in their common room."

Harry agreed. He grabbed the sword, just in case, and after covering both himself and Ginny with the silky Invisibility Cloak, Kreacher took them to the Ravenclaw common room. Shrugging off the cloak, Harry looked around the common room curiously. It was a large circular room, bright and airy with large arched windows. The room was decorated in the blue and bronze motif that was associated with Ravenclaw.

"I don't think I've ever seen our common room this neat," Ginny whispered.

Harry laughed. "It probably is now with no one there." Turning around so he could see the whole room, he stopped when he saw a large marble statue next to the door leading to the dorms. It was a life sized statue of a rather beautiful woman. The young couple approached the statue. Atop her head was a delicate tiara, which reminded Ginny of her Aunt Muriel's tiara. Into it were etched the words, _Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure._

Harry gasped. "I've seen this before."

"What? Where?"

"Last year. After I…got into the fight with Malfoy last year, I hid my potion's book in the Room of Requirement. I remember setting something that looked like that aside to mark where I hid the book."

Pulling out the Marauder's Map, they mapped out the fastest course to the Room of Requirement. Throwing the cloak over them, they quietly made their way to the seventh floor.

Leaving Ginny under the cloak, he paced in front of the door three times thinking

_I need to find the room of hidden things… I need to find the room of hidden things_

On his third pass, a door appeared in the wall. Harry reached out for Ginny's hand and pulled her into the large Cathedral like room that housed nearly a millennia of lost items.

"Merlin, this is incredible," Ginny whispered.

"I know. I was in such a hurry the first time, I didn't really look around, but there is so much stuff in here." He pointed to a pair of bloody swords lying against a long forgotten trunk. "I wonder what the story is behind them."

Ginny laughed as she surveyed the veritable city of lost items. The items were arranged in huge rows, with clear alleys winding through the room. She could see clothes in every fashion imaginable – from elaborate frocks, to plain robes, to more modern jeans. Books, cauldrons, and toys were stacked high, the stacks obviously maintained by magic.

Harry led the way down one of the alleys and turned at a huge stuffed troll. Ginny made a face as they passed the Vanishing Cabinet that had let Death Eaters into the school last year. Luckily it had been disabled once again, so it could not be used to breach the school. Harry came to a halt in front of a large cupboard and pointed to a tarnished tiara jammed atop a bust that rested on top of the cupboard.

"I hid the book in the cupboard and I used the tiara to mark where it was," Harry explained as he Summoned the tiara down and placed it on the floor.

Ginny looked at it, tears welling in her eyes. "It's so beautiful. Why does he try to destroy such beautiful things?"

Harry kissed her on top of the head and offered her the sword. She shook her head. Grasping the sword firmly in both hands, he stabbed through the diadem. A scream sounded as a dark, bloody substance leaked out of the diadem. The young couple watched almost fascinated while the dark goo poured out and seemed to burn itself up as it piled on the floor. Once it was empty, the diadem shook for a moment before it seemed to heal itself. Harry reached for the diadem and was surprised to see it was no longer tarnished, but a shiny golden colour.

Gasping, Ginny took the diadem from Harry. "It repaired itself."

"I guess the Horcrux was preventing it from looking as it should," Harry said as he slid his arm around his girlfriend. "We should return it to Professor Flitwick. He is the head of Ravenclaw House. Just before we leave, we'll get it back to him."


	12. Chapter 11 Christmas

Harry woke early on Christmas morning feeling happy and content. He hadn't been this happy since he had been dating Ginny in the spring. While he had been crushed when Ron and Hermione had left him, he now realized it may have been a good thing. He'd found and destroyed two more Horcruxes as well as destroying the locket and was feeling much more confident in his own abilities.

The wizard rolled over on his side and caught his breath as he saw Ginny sleeping beside him, her glorious hair spread out on the pillow. Raising himself up on his elbow, he watched her sleep for a few minutes. She was so beautiful. He really didn't know how he'd gotten so lucky. After the first night, they had just gotten into the habit of sleeping in the same bed. He ran an appreciative eye down her body. The shirt she was wearing had ridden up revealing her toned abs. He didn't know why, but he found her abs and especially that ring incredibly sexy.

Reaching out tentatively, he ran his hand across her abs. Her skin was so soft and inviting. Raising his eyes, he watched her eyes flutter open. She smiled as she stretched, exposing more of her toned body to his eager gaze.

"Good morning, beautiful." Harry smiled and kissed her softly. Ginny responded eagerly, deepening the kiss and lacing her hands into his messy black hair. She tugged at his hair, pulling him so he was more firmly on top of her. Harry braced himself over her, balancing his arms on either side of her. He tried to keep his lower body away from hers, but as their kissing got more heated, he lowered his hips to hers.

Ginny gasped as she felt the evidence of his arousal against her thigh. Rather than backing away, she pushed up against him. He groaned in response, a sound that Ginny found extremely erotic as it echoed through him.

He tore his mouth from hers and started kissing his way down her neck. He cupped the back of her head with one hand and slid the other hand up under her shirt. She pushed his shirt up, caressing his chest and with a bit of effort, managed to get both of their shirts off. The feel of his naked skin against hers was like adding oil to a fire. She felt desire burn through her. She had never felt like this before.

"Please, Harry," she whispered as she ran her hands over his hips and tugged at his sleeping pants.

He stared down at her, desire clouding his vision. He knew that if he thought about it, there might be a reason to stop; but with the feel of her soft skin and the look in her eyes encouraging him, he couldn't think of a reason. While neither of them knew exactly what they were doing, they followed their instincts and came together in an explosion of love.

Afterwards, Harry gathered her in his arms as he tried to catch his breath and waited for his heartbeat to return to normal. He pressed soft kisses into her neck. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

Remus watched happily as Dora opened her presents. It amazed him to think that this time next year he would have a son or daughter with whom to celebrate Christmas. Most of the presents he'd gotten his wife were baby related. He'd even been able to get her a beautiful aquamarine bracelet in honour of the baby's birth month.

"You look very happy."

Remus turned to see his mother-in-law joining him on the couch. "I am. Dora makes me happier than I ever truly thought possible."

Andromeda nodded and turned her attention back to her daughter. Remus grimaced slightly. He had severely damaged his relationship with his in-laws with his behaviour shortly after his marriage. While Dora had taken him back with a love and understanding he still didn't think he deserved, Andromeda was still very angry with him. To his surprise, it had been Ted who had been much more understanding. As a working class Muggleborn, he had married an extremely wealthy Pureblood witch, who turned her back on her family in order to marry him. Ted knew all about not feeling worthy of your wife.

With Ted currently on the run, Remus and Dora had moved in with Andromeda. Things had been very tense the first few weeks, but Remus felt he was slowly making headway with Andromeda. He tried every day with his actions to show Dora how much he loved and cherished her and how incredibly sorry he was that he'd tried to push her away. Andromeda was slowly starting to believe him.

In the early afternoon, Dora went to take a nap. This was a habit she had just recently begun. After telling Andromeda he would be back for dinner, Remus left the house and Apparated to Godric's Hollow.

He walked past the town centre, ignoring the heartbreaking statue and strode determinedly into the churchyard. After looking around, he conjured a marble bench next to his good friends' graves and sat down.

"Hi, James, Lily. Happy Christmas. So much has happened this year; I don't even know where to begin. I am married and we are expecting a child. Can you believe it?" Remus laughed softly. "Well I'm sure that you two can believe it. You were always telling me that it would happen for me someday. I married Nymphadora Tonks, Sirius's cousin. She is an amazing woman. You know me, I tried to convince her that I wasn't the right man for her. I'm too old and everything, but she burst through all of my excuses and I'm so glad she did. She truly brings colour and joy back into a life that had long slipped into melancholy and gray."

Glancing around the graveyard, Remus conjured a small Christmas tree and placed it by their graves as he spoke. He told them about Harry's mission from Dumbledore and the events of the fall. He spent quite a few minutes imagining Lily yelling at the old man for endangering her son.

"I don't know where he went. I wish I could find him, but we don't think he's alone anymore. It seems like he rescued his…I don't know if she's his girlfriend or ex-girlfriend from…something. We don't even know what happened, but he sent us a message, saying she is safe. I think both of you would really like this girl. She's strong, smart, and stubborn. Last Christmas before they got together, I watched him watching her and I swear, Prongs, it was like getting thrown back in time watching you moon over Lily."

He proudly told them how Harry had yelled some sense back into him and sent him back to Dora. "James, you would have been so proud of him. He reminded me so much of you. I really think that might be why I went to him. He…he really is the best of the two of you."

As the sun began its descent, Remus realized the time. "I need to go, my friends. Happy Christmas, Lily. Happy Christmas, Prongs. I will let you know when the baby is born."

Remus headed towards the old church when a voice spoke. "Happy Christmas, my friend."

Keeping his wand hidden, but ready, Remus turned. To his relief, it was the old pastor whom he had met many times over the years. "Happy Christmas to you, sir."

Nodding towards James and Lily's graves, the older man said, "I see you were visiting your friends for Christmas again."

Remus smiled. "Yes, sir. I haven't missed a year in quite some time."

"I thought you may have come early this year. They have had several visitors recently." The priest remarked, "I've seen several offerings of flowers and I saw a young man here. He was most distressed the first time he visited, but he came quite regularly for a short time."

Remus froze. "A young man? What did he look like?"

The old priest thought for a moment. "He was a bit taller than you, quite thin. I took him to be a teenager, but I never spoke to him. He had dark hair and glasses and he spent quite a bit of time speaking to them. Do you know him?"

"I think he might be their son, Harry. I-I have lost contact with him. If you see him, will you let him know that Remus is looking for him?" Remus asked.

Smiling, the old priest nodded. "Certainly, my son. I would be glad to relay your message."

"Thank you, sir and Happy Christmas again."

* * *

Harry wrapped his arms tightly around Ginny and held her still under the Invisibility Cloak. He dropped a kiss on her neck before resting his chin on her shoulder. They were standing in the empty Great Hall admiring the Christmas decorations.

"It is so beautiful here during the holidays," Ginny whispered. "The tree is always so huge and it looks amazing. The baubles and ribbons are fantastic and I love the fairy lights. They are so pretty."

"I loved the tree at your house last year. It looked like a paper chain explosion. It was great. My aunt would never have allowed anything like that on her tree," Harry said.

"What do you mean?"

"My aunt and uncle are both very motivated by what other people think. She decorates her Christmas tree according to what is popular or what she thinks makes her look sophisticated. One year she had all white decorations; another year it was all angel decorations. The decorations never mean anything to her," Harry explained.

"That is so sad. That's not the way to celebrate Christmas," Ginny said.

"I know. Remember how beautiful the Great Hall looked during the Yule Ball with the frost and the garland?" Harry asked.

"I was so amazed. That was the first, actually that was the only Christmas I spent here. My first and second year, Mum wanted me home. I hated going home when my brothers got to stay here. I was kind of jealous of them actually."

Harry blushed. "Sorry, I think that Ron used to stay because of me. My relatives made it very clear to that I wasn't welcome there for Christmas and I was always very glad to stay here. The first time I ever really celebrated Christmas was here."

"What? How is that possible?"

"My relatives…you know they didn't want me with them. On Christmas, I had to sit in my cupboard while they opened their presents. Dudley of course got tons of presents, most of which he broke or ignored after the first few days. Once they were done with their presents, I was allowed out to fix breakfast. After breakfast, it was my job to clean up the wrapping paper and ribbons and such. I used to imagine what it would be like to get presents, I mean real ones. They would sometimes give me things like clothes hanger or an empty box."

Ginny felt tears stinging in her eyes as she listened to his matter of fact description of his childhood. In that moment, she hated his relatives as much as she hated Tom for what they had done to him. She resolved that he would never spend another Christmas feeling unwelcome and unloved.

"Ginny, do you want to take a walk outside?" Harry whispered into her ear seemingly unaware of how his disclosure had affected her.

Blinking back her tears, she looked back over her shoulder. "How can we? Wouldn't our footprints show up in the snow?"

Harry shook his head. "No, there is a charm that will obscure our footprints. What do you say?"

Ginny laughed. "Sure, let's go."

After taking another quick look at the Marauders Map to ensure they wouldn't run into anyone, the pair hurried out into the cold, winter evening. They walked slowly along stealing kisses and just enjoying each other's company. When Ginny shivered for the second time in a few minutes, Harry reluctantly called for Kreacher to take them back to the Chamber of Secrets.

* * *

Ginny gasped as she looked around their living area. Kreacher had been very busy in their absence, hanging greenery interspersed with red ribbons and brightly coloured fairy lights. The table they normally used as a desk was set up as a table for two complete with flowers and candles. A smaller version of the Christmas dinner the elves had prepared for the rest of the castle was set up for the two of them. She looked over at Harry and saw that he was just as surprised as she was. He smiled at his elf. "Kreacher, thank you so much. It looks beautiful."

The elf straightened proudly under his master's praise. "Thank you, Master Harry. You and Mistress Ginny deserve to celebrate Christmas, even if it is in the dark place."

After Kreacher left, Harry gestured for Ginny to join him at the table. It was filled with mince pies, turkey and roast beef, stuffing and pigs in a blanket, bowls of roast potatoes and Brussels' sprouts and parsnips, cranberry sauce and rolls. Next to their plates were glasses of Christmas punch and Kreacher had even placed Christmas Crackers on the table.

Harry smiled widely at Ginny as they sat down. "This is amazing. I mean it would feed us for more than a week, but it is great."

As they ate, Ginny shared stories about her favourite Christmases growing up. Harry was fascinated into this glimpse of life in a big family.

After dinner, the couple moved over to the couch. Harry pulled her onto his lap and kissed her deeply. "I wish I could have gotten you a present."

Laughing, Ginny asked, "What would you have gotten me?"

Harry looked at her appraisingly. "I'm not sure. I'd love to be able to get you everything you want. Those romance novels you read, new clothes, new Quidditch gear, pretty jewellery – whatever you wanted."

Ginny smiled. "I don't need all of that. I would never ask you for it."

Kissing her softly, Harry said, "I know. That's why I want to give you everything. I know how hard it can be making do with hand-me-downs. You don't need new things, but it can be hard to see other people with beautiful shiny new things."

"I don't complain," Ginny said slightly stiffly.

"I know, baby. You never complain, but I know your roommates can be mean about you not having new things. I know they used to make fun of you for wearing boys' robes. I would get so mad at them. I even yelled at them once. It was my third year and they were…they were just mean and I kind of just let them have it," Harry said earnestly.

"You did?" Ginny relaxed back against him. It warmed her to think of him defending her. "I didn't even think you noticed me back then."

Harry laughed. "Of course I noticed you. You were the first witch my age I ever saw. I remember watching you run after the train wishing that I had a little sister who would miss me. I wished I could talk to you, but you…well you always blushed and…I didn't know what to do to make you able to talk to me."

"I was still so in awe of you then," Ginny said. "Remember that day, when you sat with me during lunch? I tried so hard to talk to you and I really had no idea what to say to you."

Laughing, Harry said, "You were so cute. You get turning all red and getting flustered. Ron and Hermione were fighting over something and I didn't want to deal with them. Hermione was going nuts trying to take so many classes and Ron was being Ron. I saw you sitting there by yourself and I couldn't help myself."

Ginny smacked him lightly. "It's not nice to laugh at me."

"I'm not laughing at you. I just think you were so cute." Harry silenced her argument with a kiss.

Their kissing slowly turned more heated. Regretfully, Harry pulled back. "Ginny. We need to talk about what happened this morning."

Ginny sighed. "Do you regret it?"

"What? No! I was so afraid that after we woke up again, you might regret it or be angry with me for…not stopping."

"No, I…I knew what I wanted."

Harry blushed. "What…I didn't even think about any kind of…protection."

It was Ginny's turn to blush. "I…I'm on a potion. It's supposed to help with cramps you know during my period. It works as a birth control potion."

Harry blushed harder at the mention of her period, but he nodded. He cupped her cheek with his hand as he looked deeply into her eyes. "I love you, Ginny. I think you are the most amazing, most beautiful, and most sexy witch I have ever seen in my whole life. I know that maybe we should have waited, but I also know that I never want to do that with anyone but you. If I survive this confrontation with Tom, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know we are young, but I know that I love you more than I will ever love anyone else."

Ginny could feel the tears well up in her eyes as she listened to the love of her life pour out his heart to her. "I love you. I would love to spend the rest of my life with you. I will make certain that you never feel unloved or unwelcome ever again."

Harry kissed her softly. Ginny shifted around on his lap before whispering to him, "Harry, let's go to bed."

* * *

Arthur headed into the small nondescript pub a few blocks from the Ministry a few days after Christmas. Looking around, he nodded at a few colleagues before heading back to one of the private rooms. His lunch companions were already waiting for him. Kingsley Shacklebolt was looking out the window while Remus Lupin was sitting on a small loveseat reading the _Daily Prophet_. A luncheon of steak and kidney pie with chips was sitting on a small table along with cold bottles of butterbeer as well as plates and silverware.

"Arthur," Kingsley said as he entered. "I was beginning to think that you wouldn't be able to get away."

"It is hard to act naturally," Arthur replied as he helped himself to some food. The other two men did the same and they sat down around a low table and ate quickly.

Kingsley broke the silence. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to give you any warning about the search."

Arthur nodded absently. The Ministry had sent two pairs of Aurors to the house on Boxing Day to search for Ginny. The official line was now that she had run away.

"That's okay. They didn't find anything and I'm glad that Ron and Hermione had gone back to Bill's. I think the search more than anything helped convince Molly that we need to find a better solution than the pair of them hiding at Shell Cottage."

"What are they going to do?" Remus asked curiously.

Sighing, Arthur twisted his wedding ring nervously. "Hermione will be headed to Beauxbatons. Fleur has spoken with her family and Madame Maxime and helped pave the way for her to enrol."

"Really? I thought maybe she would head for Australia," Remus remarked.

"No, she doesn't want to get her parents until she is sure it is safe," Arthur explained.

"What about Ron?" Kingsley asked. "The Ministry believes that he is secluded with Spattergroit."

"We've had a hard time deciding what to do," Arthur said sadly. "Ron hasn't helped us out much. He's angry. I would hate to send him back to Hogwarts. He wasn't thrilled about the idea of going to Beauxbatons either. After much discussion, we are going to send him to Romania. He'll be staying with Charlie for a while. Ron is floundering and I'm not really sure how to help him. He and Charlie have always been rather close and I think it will be good for him."

"Good," Kingsley said. "I've been worried about your family."

"So, you wanted to talk to us?" Remus asked Kingsley.

"Yes." Kingsley explained what had happened at Hogwarts. "It was almost like he was trying to help us, but I've never really understood Snape."

"So basically he was saying that Draco Malfoy may have had a hand in Ginny's disappearance," Remus said thoughtfully.

"Yes, that was corroborated by Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnegan. They were concerned about the attention Malfoy was paying to Ginny," Kingsley explained. "Snape said something about her past associations. Do you know what that might mean?"

Arthur paled. "Merlin, please tell me that is not true."

"What do you mean? Arthur, what's wrong?" Kingsley asked urgently.

"You-Know-Who. W-when Ginny was in her first year, s-she was tricked into writing in his old diary. He used her and possessed her. He made her open the Chamber of Secrets. H-Harry rescued her. He k-killed a Basilisk in order to rescue her," Arthur explained, tears welling in his eyes as he thought of his daughter's traumatic first year.

"Merlin," Remus breathed. "Do you think that is what Snape was trying to tell you? That You-Know-Who is after her?"

"That actually makes sense. He said something about those looking for her being persistent and hinting at Malfoy's involvement. If the Carrows were going to deliver her to You-Know-Who, Harry may have found out somehow and rescued her," Kingsley said. "Killing the Carrows in the process. The poison; it could have been Basilisk venom. Arthur, how did Harry kill the Basilisk?"

"The Sword of Gryffindor, h-he pulled it from the Sorting Hat. Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, helped him. He brought Harry the Sorting Hat and Harry pulled the sword out of it and used it to kill the Basilisk," Arthur told the other two men.

"If You-Know-Who is after her, then being with Harry is probably the safest place she could be," Remus said quietly.

"That's not all," Kingsley said. "After Snape's comments, we looked around Godric's Hallow and discovered that Bathilda Bagshot is dead. It appears she died some time ago. Interestingly enough, we found the remains of a very large snake in her house. It appears to be the same snake that attacked you, Arthur. Its head was chopped off – probably with a sword."

"Harry?" Remus asked.

"I guess so. I…I didn't realize he had any connection to swords. Why would he have gone there?" Kingsley asked.

"Hermione said that Harry really wanted to go to Godric's Hollow. He may have found out that she knew his parents. He is always desperate for stories about his parents. The old pastor at the church in Godric's Hollow described a young man visiting James and Lily's graves. So I believe he spent time there," Remus said slowly. "Maybe he found something that led him to Hogwarts."

"But we searched that school," Kingsley said. "We didn't find any evidence of either him or Ginny. We searched manually and magically. I mean, it is possible we missed something, but I don't know where."

"If he did kill the Carrows, why would he stay there after he killed them?" Remus asked reasonably. "It would make more sense that he left, taking Ginny with him."

"So we just need to figure out where he would go next," Kingsley said. "Do you know where that might be?"

The three men looked at each other helplessly.


	13. Chapter 12 Departures

Harry sighed in frustration as he pushed the book away. Ginny looked up from the book she was reading. "What's wrong, love?"

"I need to have more of a plan this time. I just can't figure out where to go," Harry said moodily.

Ginny looked at him carefully for a moment. "Well, sulking won't help."

Pushing to his feet, Harry sent her a dirty look before he started pacing. The couple had decided to stay at Hogwarts until after the New Year and their time was running out. Harry was getting frustrated by his lack of progress.

Shaking her head, Ginny went back to reading while Harry wandered off into the larger part of the Chamber. She had noticed that when he got frustrated, it helped him to walk or jog around.

He came back twenty minutes later a bit sweatier, but in a better mood. "Sorry." Kissing her on top of the head, he headed towards their makeshift bathroom. "I'm going to take a quick shower."

When he came back, Ginny said, "I want to try something."

"Okay," Harry said as he sat down across from her.

"Close your eyes for me," Ginny commanded. When he complied, she continued, "Think about everything you know. What kind of places did Tom hide his Horcruxes?"

Harry was silent for a moment, thinking about everything over before he answered. "He used significant murders to create the Horcruxes. His father and grandfather, his uncle, he was going to use my murder to create his final Horcrux. He couldn't do that so after he was resurrected he used either the murder of Bertha Jones or the old caretaker to make Nagini into a Horcrux.

"He hid them in places where he felt powerful. The cave where he tortured those kids, his grandfather's home, his first real home here at Hogwarts." Harry fell silent for a moment. "He wouldn't use places where he felt weak. So he wouldn't use the orphanage or Albania as he felt his weakest there. He also used some of his Death Eaters. He gave the diary to Malfoy and he asked Regulus Black for help."

Ginny looked up. "Are there any other Death Eaters he may have turned to for help?"

"Bellatrix," Harry answered promptly. "She sees herself as his most loyal follower."

"Does she have an estate or house?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know," Harry replied opening his eyes. "Where would we find out?"

Ginny tapped her quill on the table. "Home ownership is a matter of public record. A copy would be in the Ministry and…I think the library. We should head up to the restricted section and see what we can find out."

"We also need to figure out a way around the Trace," Harry reminded her. "I don't really want you out there not being able to use magic."

Pulling out the Marauder's Map, Harry checked the library. "I don't see anyone around. Do you want to go now?"

* * *

A knock on the open door caused Hermione to turn around. "Ron, come on in."

"Hi, Hermione." Ron sat on the small bed closest to the door. Hermione sat on the other bed, next to her open trunk. He gestured at the trunk and the Beauxbatons' robe that Fleur had given to her. "So you are really doing this? Going to Beauxbatons?"

Hermione nodded. "I didn't want to at first, but after the Burrow was searched, it really made me think. Muggleborns all over the country are in hiding or have already left the country. Unfortunately, I am rather well known so I don't think I could hide very well. Finishing my education only makes sense. Once I've finished school, I think I will be in a much better place to help with the war effort."

"You'll like that," Ron said with a smile. "I know you hated not being able to go back to school. At least this way you'll be safe."

"I really did hate not going back," Hermione replied. "It will be fascinating to attend a different magical school." She stole a look over at Ron. "I'm a bit nervous about going to a different school. I hope I will be able to make friends. That was always difficult for me when I was younger."

"I think you'll be fine," Ron said. "Fleur said that some other Hogwarts students will be there, so you might know some people."

"I hope so," Hermione said. She smiled over at Ron. "So what about you? What did you finally decide to do?"

Ron rolled his eyes. "I don't know that I really decided, but I'm going to Romania with Charlie. My parents didn't want to send me to Hogwarts with Ginny still missing. The Spattergroit story is still working so they don't want to mess that up. If Ginny was targeted because she was involved with Harry, then I would be a target also. I've always gotten along well with Charlie, so my parents thought I should go to Romania."

"I'll miss you," Hermione said softly.

Ron looked pleased with her admission, but he didn't respond.

"Will you write to me?" she asked.

"I'll try."

* * *

Casting another look around the library, Ginny said, "It's so weird to see it so empty."

Harry laughed softly. "I snuck in here during Christmas of my first year. I had just gotten my Invisibility Cloak and I wanted to try it out. We were trying to find out about Nicholas Flamel. I almost got caught by Snape and Filch." He saw her worried look. "Don't worry, I set Privacy and Silencing Charms this time."

Nodding, she headed down the closest aisle. After a few minutes, she called out softly, "Harry, look at this."

When he joined her, she showed him what she'd found. "These are histories of old Wizarding families. The Bones, Malfoys, Blacks, Dumbledores, Notts, Prewetts…here the Lestranges." She pulled the old dusty book off the shelf.

"Set it on the table, for now," Harry said. "I want to see if we can find something about the Trace."

Ginny nodded absently. "Where is your family's book?"

"What do you mean? Your family doesn't have a book. Maybe mine didn't either," Harry said as he looked over the names on the books.

"Most of these families are old Pureblood, wealthy families. We are Pureblood, but we are not wealthy. Your family is both very wealthy and Pureblood," Ginny explained as she continued looking over the books.

The couple searched the library for another hour before returning to their quarters. Ginny set the books on the table before pouring herself a glass of pumpkin juice. Sitting at the table, she grabbed the book they had found on old magic while Harry took the book on the Lestranges.

"Ginny."

She looked up from her book to find Harry looking troubled. "What's wrong?"

"What did you mean about my family? Do you know something about them?"

Ginny paused. "The Potters are an old family. My mum taught us about the old, established families, the wizards who founded the Ministry and the old families who helped establish our world. The old families are like the nobility in the Muggle world. These days they don't have more power or anything, but they are families that the others look up to."

"So my family should have had a book in the library?" Harry asked.

"I think so," Ginny replied.

Harry groaned. "Why don't I know these things? My relatives always told me how worthless my father was and he was a layabout who didn't do anything."

"Didn't you get a book when you were visited? My roommate, Lauren, said when Professor McGonagall came and delivered her letter and explained about magic, she gave them a book. It explained about the magical world - the Ministry, Gringotts, Hogwarts. It explained accidental magic and underage magic. Didn't you get one?" Ginny asked.

Hurt flashed across his face. "No, Hagrid came and gave me my letter and took me to Diagon Alley. He took me to visit my vault, explained what happened to my parents and why I was famous, but I never got a book."

Ginny felt a flare of anger. Harry never seemed to catch a break. A thought suddenly crossed her mind. "Harry, did you try to get any money from your account?"

"No, I'm wanted by the Ministry," Harry replied in confusion.

"Sirius was able to get money from his account while he was on the run. I remember him telling me that he bought your Firebolt," Ginny said quietly.

Harry shot to his feet. "Kreacher!"

The old elf appeared with a pop. "Yes, master."

"Can I get money from my Gringotts account?" Harry asked.

"Yes, master. I can get money for you if you wish," Kreacher replied.

Harry groaned and dropped his head in his hands. "Yes, please. Can you get me some Muggle money as well?"

After Kreacher left, Harry turned to Ginny. "I really hate the Wizarding world some times."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It is like I'm either a great hero or a disturbed attention seeker or undesirable number one. My first year the school first loves me because of who I am and my Quidditch skills, but I lose fifty points in one night and no one will talk to me. The whole school had no trouble believing I was the heir of Slytherin or trying to steal Cedric's thunder. I get tired of it after a while. Sometimes I feel like if I do defeat Tom, I'll get arrested for murder or something."

Ginny rose and walked around the table. Perching on the edge of the table, she dropped a kiss on top of his head and ran one of her hands through Harry's hair. "Love, if you could do anything at all after you defeat Tom, what would you do?"

Harry leaned into her touch and slid both of his arms around her hips. "I don't really know. I don't think I want to become an Auror anymore. I'm tired of fighting and I don't want to spend my life like this. Maybe I could play Quidditch or travel. I'd love to travel. I've never really been anyplace."

Looking up at her, he said, "I do know one thing I really want to do."

"What?"

"Marry you."

"Really?" Ginny asked him, uncertainty in her eyes.

Looking up into her eyes, Harry nodded. "I want to marry you."

He watched her anxiously through his lashes when she didn't answer right away. "Gin?"

"What…my mum is always instructing me on being a proper wife. She thinks I'm not ladylike enough. She hates that I play Quidditch and that I'm not good at cooking. She's always told me a proper wife would stay at home and raise a family."

Harry raised his hand and covered her mouth. "I don't want a housekeeper. I want you. If you want to play Quidditch all day and track mud all over the kitchen floor, that's fine with me. I've gotten pretty good at some of the household charms, plus I have a house elf. I think a proper wife would be my partner and together we could figure out what works for us."

"D-do you want to have children?"

Smiling dreamily, Harry replied, "Someday. Not for a while, though. That would be great, wouldn't it? I can just imagine us having a family together. I bet we'd have beautiful little red-headed girls."

Ginny tilted his head up and looked into his eyes. "So, you would marry me knowing I can't cook and I'm not good at cleaning?"

His smile was almost blinding. "Yes, I would. That would be incredible."

She couldn't help herself. She leaned down and kissed him. "Yes, it would be."

* * *

Ginny could feel Harry's gaze on her as she sat on the couch reading about the laws regarding underage magic.

"Sweetie, you need to actually look at your book every once in a while in order to figure out what it says," she said with amusement. She actually found it rather flattering that he couldn't keep his eyes off her.

He got up and moved over to the couch. "You are much more interesting to look at than the book."

Ginny laughed as he plucked the book from her hands and scooped her into his lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him deeply. He responded instantly, running his hands under her shirt. She moaned lightly as she turned to straddle him, pulling off her shirt. He smiled against her skin. "I love you, Ginny."

Much later that afternoon, Ginny cuddled up against him on the couch covered with one of the blankets from their bed. He made her feel so loved and so cherished.

She turned to face him after he placed a kiss on her temple. Brushing his hair out of his eyes, she said, "So I was actually making some headway prior to being interrupted."

"What did you find out?"

The book says the Trace is automatically placed on all magical children when they start school to detect magic around those under seventeen. It doesn't actually detect underage magic; it just detects magic around those underage. With magical families, it is impossible to prove cases of underage magic, considering the amount of magic that takes place each day in the home. It is simply assumed the parents will monitor their children appropriately. Hmm... My parents conveniently never mentioned that. Anyhow, the Trace was originally put into place to protect the International Statute of Secrecy, to prevent young people from using magic in Muggle communities. If the Muggleborn once contacted, chooses not to attend Hogwarts or any Wizarding school, their magical powers are bound so they can't use them," Ginny explained.

"What?" Harry exclaimed. "That's horrible. Their powers are bound?"

She nodded. "The feeling was that if they didn't want to be trained, they would be a danger to themselves or others. It did say that this is only rarely done."

"Well, that is good. I can't imagine having my powers bound," Harry said.

Ginny shivered at the thought. "I know that would be horrible. Anyhow, the Trace is deactivated under three circumstances – reaching the age of majority, marriage, or being proven to be a Squib."

She reached down next to the couch and grabbed the book she'd been reading. Flipping through the book, she found the page for which she was looking. "Here, it talks about betrothal rituals. I think what it is saying is that performing one of these rituals will deactivate the Trace."

Harry read the section she'd indicated. "Betrothal is like an engagement, right?"

She blushed at the thought. "It's a bit more. A betrothal is more formal, being as it is a magical contract. A regular engagement can be broken off for whatever reason, but a betrothal can only be broken in cases of death or infidelity."

"So why would you have a betrothal instead of a marriage?" Harry asked curiously.

"Betrothals have really fallen out of favour. They used to be used in the past for arranged marriages." Ginny reread the page. "It doesn't say that they can't still be used."

"Is there an age limit for betrothals or need for parental permission?" Harry asked.

"I don't think so, but it doesn't say," Ginny said. She sighed. "I wish there was some way we could ask someone about it."

"We'll keep it in mind for an option," Harry said. "I found out something as well. The Lestrange estate is located in York. The Lestranges came across with William the Conqueror and were given their estate in return for their services to the crown."

"So are we going to York?" Ginny asked.

"I figure that is the best place to start," Harry replied.

* * *

Irma Pince looked around in satisfaction as she entered the library in preparation for the spring term. This was how she like the library best, everything in order and free of students. There were few students she could actually tolerate. Those were the students that shared her reverence for books.

As the librarian walked behind her desk, she saw a glowing parchment. She examined the writing before stalking angrily out of the library. The bookish witch knew that Professor Snape would probably just dismiss her concerns, so she decided to visit Professor McGonagall. She rather respected Minerva McGonagall. She was a strict, yet fair teacher, who had no problems keeping the children in line.

Knocking on Minerva's open office door, Irma entered when Minerva looked up and beckoned her into the office.

"Good day, Irma. I hope your holidays went well."

"Yes, I'm glad I left before all of the unpleasantness," Irma replied.

Minerva barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. Unpleasantness? Two professors were killed and a student kidnapped; that was more than unpleasant.

"Yes, indeed," she replied noncommittally. "So, what can I do for you?"

Her indignation returning full force, Irma brandished the parchment in front of Minerva. "There was a student in the restricted section over the holidays."

Minerva examined the parchment. Upon it was a list of books that had been taken and returned from the library. The books were on a wide range of topics - magical law, ancient magical rites, magical history, and oddly enough the Lestrange family.

She shifted uneasily in her chair. "Do you know who the student was?"

"Not yet. The parchment only records what books were taken, not who took them. I need to examine each book to discover who took them out of the library," Irma explained.

Minerva stood up. "Why don't we go now?"

The two witches returned to the library. Irma headed directly for the restricted section and pulled the books in question. Moving her wand above the books, she gasped.

"What is it, Irma?"

"I don't believe it. Two students handled these books – Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter. Harry Potter is a wanted criminal. How did he get in the school?"

Minerva's nostrils flared and her lips thinned to hear one of her favourite students classified as a criminal. "I don't know." Reading over the book titles again, she asked, "Irma, do you know why they would pick these books?"

"I have no idea why they would want to read up on the Lestranges. That is simply a history of the Lestrange family. The other books – teenagers always think they can get around the rules. They are looking for a way around the Trace." Picking up one of the books, Irma said, "They were reading up on betrothals."

Not bothering to hide her shock, Minerva asked, "Would that work?"

"It is possible. However a betrothal is a very serious magical contract. If they attempt a betrothal and they are not committed, there will be repercussions. They may lose some magical ability, control over their magic, or worst case scenario they will die in the attempt. At least once every ten years or so a couple will attempt a betrothal with disastrous results. Usually someone will talk them out of it," Irma explained.

Thinking over what she had been told, Minerva asked, "Irma, is this the only copy of the list of books?"

"Yes, a copy used to go to the Headmaster, but Professor Dumbledore stopped that practice."

Nodding, Minerva turned to her long time colleague. _"Obliviate!"_

After casting a quick _Incendio_ on the parchment and sending the books back to the shelves, Minerva said to the librarian, "I hope you had a good holiday."

Irma looked around uncertainly. What happened? Focusing on Minerva McGonagall, she realized that Minerva must have come for a post holiday visit.

Leading the way back to her tiny office, Irma prepared a cup of tea and plate of biscuits for her visitor and settled in for a nice chat.

Minerva escaped from the library almost an hour later, her thoughts jumbled.

"Minerva!"

Turning, Minerva saw Filius Flitwick standing in front of her. "Filius, I am glad to see you. I have a few questions for you."

"Certainly." Filius led the way to his office. "Did you hear that Edward Nott has been appointed to the Dark Arts post?"

"Nott? Well, I guess it could be worse. He was never in Azkaban and he does have children. What about Muggle Studies?"

"I haven't heard anything about Muggle Studies. I really rather hope that they won't continue that farce of a class. The things they have been teaching in the school. I only hope we can counteract all of these teachings once this is over," Filius replied sadly.

As they entered Filius's office, he cast Locking and Privacy Spells as well as obscuring the portraits in the room. Minerva raised an eyebrow at his precautions.

After they were both seated, Filius said, "Why don't you ask your questions first? I also have news."

Minerva relayed what she had learned from Irma. Filius looked concerned as he listened. "She is correct. We always have some older students who try to get around the Trace and the Ministry rules. I doubt Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley have the same motivations as most of those students. Miss Weasley is in danger as she cannot perform magic. If they are able to get rid of the Trace, she will be much safer."

Minerva sighed. "If they do attempt a betrothal, what would the repercussions be?"

"Why do you assume there will be repercussions?" Filius asked in amusement. "The repercussions only come into play if they are not fully committed or they are not powerful enough to power the contract."

"So you are saying they might be able to perform a betrothal ritual?" Minerva asked.

Filius nodded. "I would not be surprised. Mr. Potter is a very powerful and capable wizard. Miss Weasley is not quite at his level, but is very powerful in her own right. She is magically stronger than at least two of her older brothers."

A rare smiled crossed Minerva's face. "That is very true. The love between the two of them is…a joy to behold. They are not very public about it, but it is there nonetheless."

Filius watched as Minerva mulled over that information. When she looked up, she looked much relieved.

"So what did you need to tell me?" she asked.

He handed her a note.

_Professor __Flitwick,_

_We found this hidden in the castle. It was used for an evil purpose, so I would recommend letting my brother, Bill, look it over. It is very important that none of the Death Eaters see this. You-Know-Who __cannot know__ that you have this. Please let my family and Remus Lupin know that we are safe. Harry said to tell you that his last Charms lesson before Christmas break in his fourth year the two of you spent the time talking about his Summoning Charm. Professor McGonagall can verify that she and I met every Sunday evening during my second and third year for tea and biscuits._

_Thank you to the both of you for everything,_

_Ginny Weasley_

Next to Ginny's signature was a lightning bolt. Minerva felt a surge of affection for the young couple. Looking up, she asked, "What did they leave you?"

Filius opened an ordinary bag to reveal Ravenclaw's diadem.


	14. Chapter 13  York

The snow lay in piles all around and was still falling, obstructing Harry's view of the stone fortress in front of him. He and Ginny had been staying in various spots around York for the past week and a half. It had taken them almost a week just to find the Lestrange estate, hidden as it was under various enchantments.

The Lestrange estate was thankfully on the smaller side. Most of the ten foot thick stone wall that originally surrounded the whole castle was intact. The large yard showed evidence of the long abandonment. Grasses grew up to waist level, the stone walkway between the outbuildings was broken into sections, and the old wooden stable had long since fallen away, leaving only an outline of the building.

The round keep itself was a totally different story. It was in pristine condition with its thick stone walls and heavy wooden door. The stone steps leading up to the door were solid and gleaming as though they'd been recently polished. The magic radiating off the keep was so intense that it was almost visible.

Harry shivered under his Invisibility Cloak. Breaking into the Ministry of Magic had been good training. Harry and Ginny had been keeping watch on the keep for the past few days. Glancing at his watch, he Apparated away.

* * *

Ginny smiled as she stepped onto the Shambles, a picturesque street in the heart of York. It was a narrow cobblestone street lined with shops and pubs. It reminded her of Diagon Alley and home.

One of the things that had surprised her the most about York was the integration of magical and Muggle shops along the street. Unlike London, there was no separate magical section in York. Rather the two were intertwined and coexisted very peacefully.

After checking to ensure her hair was covered, she walked purposefully toward a small nondescript shop sandwiched in between an antique shop on one side and a high fashion boutique on the other. Pushing open the door, she quickly entered. The tiny waiting area was empty and there was no one behind the counter. Ginny wandered up to the counter and looked around. There were five rows of shelves and a door behind the shelves that presumably led to the back room.

"Hello?" Ginny called out.

A young man with auburn hair peered out from the shelves. Ginny felt herself relaxing slightly. She guessed the young man was in his mid to late twenties. He was rather tall – at least over six feet. With his hair and freckles, he reminded Ginny of her brothers.

He approached the counter nervously. "Yes, ma'am. Can I help you?"

"I need a wand," she said firmly.

He cast an appraising look at her. "May I ask why you don't have one? The new Ministry laws are scrutinizing all of our wand sales."

"It was taken from me, not by the Ministry," Ginny explained.

"Are you Muggleborn?" the wand maker asked.

"No," Ginny replied coolly. "If you must know, I am a Pureblood."

When he continued to look at her sceptically, she rolled her eyes and recited a rhyme her mother taught her as a child. "The eagle's intellect held sway, the lion's bravery saved the day when the serpent's treachery almost stole the light and the badger's warmth shone bright."

The wand maker laughed. "That's good. I doubt any Muggleborns would know the Founders Poem."

Holding out his hand, he said, "I'm Samuel McCoy."

Shaking his hand, she said, "I'm Molly James."

"Well, Molly. Let's see if we can find you a wand."

To her delight, it only took four tries to find a new ten-inch rosewood wand with a unicorn hair core. She smiled as golden sparks flew from the end of her wand.

"Wonderful," Samuel said with a smile. "We don't sell as many wands up here. Most people go to London. It is always nice to see one matched so well. That will be eight Galleons."

Handing over the appropriate amount, she left the store with her new wand. Pulling her cloak a bit tighter, Ginny hurried out onto the busy street. Stopping by the deli, she purchased some soup and sandwiches before returning to the rental flat where she and Harry were staying for the week.

* * *

As she entered the flat, Ginny smiled as she realized Harry had beaten her back. She could hear him humming as he moved around the flat.

"Hi, love!"

Harry popped his head around the corner. "Hi. I'm just putting a load of clothes on; I'll be out in a minute."

Smiling, Ginny pulled out some plates and put the food out. After a week of changing places every night, Harry had suggested they get a rental flat for a week. The flats were set up for those on holiday, so they came with linens and kitchenware. The first night in the flat was a huge surprise to Ginny. While she had taken Muggle Studies for several years, she had never actually been in a Muggle home. Harry had shown her how to use the appliances, but she really didn't feel comfortable using them.

Joining her at the kitchen table, Harry leaned over and gave her a kiss. "Hey, beautiful. How was your day? Did you get a wand?"

Ginny eagerly pulled out her wand and showed him. "Yes, it was amazing. I never felt so right with my Great-Grandmother's wand. It's rosewood with unicorn hair."

"I still can't believe your parents would let you go to school with a wand that wasn't your own," Harry grumbled.

"Harry, the year I started school I still had four brothers in school and we had to buy all those Lockhart books. My parents didn't have the money for a new wand. My Great-Grandmother's wand worked for me," Ginny explained patiently.

"I would have bought you a wand."

Ginny laughed. "Yes and that would have gone over so well. I liked the wand shop. The wandmaker wasn't quite as creepy as Ollivander. I went with Ron when he got his wand after my first year." She told him about the wand shop while they ate.

"So what is that rhyme?" Harry asked.

Ginny blushed slightly. "It's a rhyme that all Wizarding children are taught when they are young. It is like _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_. I figured that most Muggleborns wouldn't know the rhyme and it would prove to him that I am a Pureblood." She made a face. "I hate that I even have to think that, but I didn't know what else to do."

Reaching across the table, Harry took her hand. "It's okay. You need to do what you can to survive. Once Tom is defeated, we can work on fixing what is wrong with the Wizarding world."

As they lingered over the treacle tart, Harry told her what he'd discovered at the Lestrange estate. She listened intently. "So we will need to search the keep. Is that what you're saying?"

Harry nodded and Ginny frowned. "Is there a spell for detecting Horcruxes?"

"No, we need to search by hand," Harry explained. "The benefit we have is that we know what we are looking for, so I'm hoping that we can search it rather quickly."

After they finished eating, Ginny cleaned up in the kitchen while Harry finished the laundry. Once they'd finished their chores, the couple sat down in the lounge and Harry pulled out one of their new purchases. Opening the book, he turned to the page he'd marked earlier.

"Read this one, Ginny. It sounds like the one we've been looking for."

Taking the book, Ginny read.

_Sponsus __ex Amor or the pledge of love is an ancient betrothal vow. In ancient times, this vow was often used in arranged marriages. The strength of the couples' love and magic will determine the outcome. The vow fell out of favour because if the couple is not compatible, their magic will be affected. _

_If the couple is strongly attracted to each other, but not yet in love, the vow will act as a betrothal pledge. For the couple already in love, the vow acts as a marriage vow. Once the vows have been recited, the couple's magic will surround them._

_A black colour indicates the couple are not compatible, a sparkling silver colour indicates a betrothal, and a brilliant gold indicates marriage. This pledge is still honoured today. A couple bound by the pledge are considered either betrothed or married depending upon the results of the bonding. If a betrothal is indicated, a separate marriage ceremony must follow. If a marriage is indicated, no further ceremony is needed as long as the couple are both over the age of fifteen years._

_It must be emphasized that this is not recommended due to the possible consequences, if the couple are not compatible. Couples who attempt this rite, but are not compatible will face severe consequences. The couple may lose control of their magic or experience a drop in their magical power. There have been several cases in which the couple lost all magical abilities._

Looking up at Harry, Ginny nodded. "This is perfect. I think this is what we were looking for."

Harry smiled at her response. To Ginny's surprise, he got up off the couch and walked over to the table and picked up a small black box. Coming back to the couch, he knelt by her. "Ginny Weasley, I love you more than I can tell you. I know we are young and I know our future is uncertain, but I don't want that to interfere. I know our betrothal is important in providing you the ability to use magic, but I want our betrothal to mean more than that. Will you marry me?"

Ginny felt tears welling up in her eyes as she watched the love of her life proposing. Throwing her arms around him, she yelled, "Yes!"

She poured all of the passion she was feeling into the kiss. Harry stood without breaking the kiss and pulled her close. He sat on the couch with her on his lap. It was some time later before Harry opened the box and showed her the ring. With a trembling hand, he carefully slid the ring on her finger.

"Harry, this is beautiful," Ginny said as she admired the ring. It had a square cut diamond flanked on either side by emeralds.

Harry smiled as he watched her. "Thank you. I thought it looked like something you would like. So when do you want to do this?" he asked nervously.

Taking a deep breath, Ginny said quietly, "Why don't we do this now?"

"Really?" Harry's wide smile gave an indication of what he was feeling. "That would be great! Do we need to…"

Harry trailed off, unsure of what he wanted to ask. Ginny looked at him inquiringly. "I mean you should have something…beautiful for our betrothal ceremony, not just another night in our rental flat."

Ginny felt her heart melt a little bit. Harry was looking uncertainly at her.

"I have an idea," Ginny said. "Why don't we go to the florist down the street and get some flowers and maybe some candles?"

Harry nodded. "That would be great."

An hour later, the couple re-entered their flat and Ginny sent Harry off to shower and change while she set up the room how she wanted.

Harry stepped out onto the terrace of their flat as he heard Ginny get into the shower. Looking up into the night sky, he searched for Sirius. Since his godfather had died, Harry had taken comfort in looking for the star for which Sirius was named. He wished with all of his heart that he had Sirius here with him tonight. While he knew it was important to protect Ginny, he also wished he could make this betrothal special for her. The book had talked about family and parties. He and Ginny would have none of that.

"Harry."

Turning, Harry caught his breath. Ginny had changed into some type of flowing blue gown with her hair down around her shoulders. She looked amazing.

He tried to speak, but found his throat suddenly too dry. Swallowing, he tried again. "Ginny, you…wow. You are so beautiful."

Crossing the room, Ginny smiled as she kissed him softly. "Thank you. You look pretty good yourself."

Harry had changed into his best pair of jeans and a blue and grey collared shirt. He shook his head. "Not compared to you."

After kissing him again softly, Ginny led him into the living room. She had arranged a centrepiece of flowers on the low table surrounded by a sea of candles. Harry had pushed back the sofa, so she could arrange a beautifully woven blanket on the floor surrounded by gold, silver, red and green pillows.

The couple knelt in the centre of the blanket and crossing their wands, repeated the words to the vow. As the last word faded away, Ginny felt a warmth spread over her. It felt like it was coming from inside of her and flowing out over her arms to meet Harry's hands, which were holding her's tightly.

From the look in Harry's eyes, he felt the same warmth envelope him. Ginny couldn't tear her eyes from his beautiful dark green eyes. She could feel his love covering her, merging with her love and slowly a bright golden light encompassed the young couple.

* * *

Bill looked at the diadem in amazement. "Is this really Ravenclaw's diadem?"

Professor Flitwick nodded. "I believe it is. It looks just like the pictures."

With a practiced wand movement, Bill sealed his office before waving his wand in an intricate pattern above the diadem. Filius watched the curse breaker anxiously. It had been several days since Filius had found the diadem and note waiting for him. He and Minerva had decided it was prudent to share the note and diadem with Bill, but neither of them were up to telling Molly Weasley what type of books her sixteen year old daughter had been reading.

Bill's sharp intact of breath caught Filius's attention. Bill set down his wand and turned to the bookshelves behind him. The younger wizard scanned the bookshelves and grabbed a slim black book. Flipping through the book, he found the page for which he was searching.

Looking up, Bill asked, "Have you ever heard of a Horcrux?"

"Oh Merlin," Filius breathed. "Is that how he survived?"

"I think so," Bill replied. "I've seen a few cases of Horcruxes in Egypt. Because of the power needed to create a Horcrux as well as the…well the need to murder someone in order to create one, they've never been a hugely popular way to create immortality. For some reason, I never considered that was how You-Know-Who survived."

He set the book down on the edge of his desk and looked at his former Charms professor. "Ron and Hermione were trying to tell me about what they were doing with Harry. All they could tell me was they were searching for something. Someone, either Harry or Professor Dumbledore must have put a jinx on the knowledge because they couldn't tell me anything more. Hermione said Harry wanted to go to Hogwarts, but she rather dismissed the idea as ridiculous."

Filius smiled. "Miss Granger tends to overlook Mr. Potter's intelligence at times." Gesturing toward the diadem, the professor asked, "Is it safe now?"

Bill nodded. "I'm not sure what they did, but the Horcrux has been destroyed." He gestured toward the note that Filius had brought with him. "Is there any doubt that is real? I mean it looks like her handwriting…"

"Minerva verified that she did meet with your sister and I can tell you that what Mr. Potter wrote is true."

Bill smiled. "I'm glad that Ginny had someone to talk to. One of the few true arguments I've had with my parents was over the way they handled that whole episode. I wish they'd had her see a mind healer or at least…I don't know. It's easy to criticize. I was so angry with my brothers. I had noticed something off in her letters to me and I had even mentioned it to my parents…they didn't think it was anything. Percy assured them that she was fine, so she was fine."

"I know your mother in particular was quite overwrought by your sister's ordeal. Both of your parents felt very guilty about missing the signs," Filius said gently.

Bill shook his head to dispel the memories of those dark days after his sister had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets. Looking over at his former Charms professor, he said, "I can take this to Harry's personal vault if you like. That way no Death Eater will see the diadem."

* * *

Her ring glinted in the weak late afternoon light as Ginny brought her hand down. Her engagement ring had been joined by a simple gold band along with a matching band for Harry signifying their marriage.

"Good job, Ginny!" Harry exclaimed. In the week since they had taken their pledge, Harry and Ginny had been working on the same basic skills Harry had been working on since he'd been left on his own.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her on the cheek. He still couldn't believe that he'd ended up married to Ginny, but as she was the only girl he'd ever felt this way about, he wasn't arguing. The past week had been the happiest he could remember. During the day, they had kept the keep under surveillance and practiced their magic. The nights had been spent making love and exploring their physical relationship.

Flashing a smile over her shoulder at her new husband, Ginny asked, "So does that mean we're ready to search the keep?"

Burying his head in her neck, Harry sighed. "Yes. We might as well get it over with. I…I just wish you knew how to Apparate."

"Me too," Ginny replied, leaning back into his embrace. "I'd never even side-along Apparated until we came here."

"Why is that?" Harry asked curiously. "I mean why don't people normally Apparate with children? I don't like to Apparate, but it is a faster way to move around."

Squeezing his hand with hers, Ginny pulled out of his embrace. "I think it's because children can't really concentrate on the destination so there is an increased risk of getting splinched."

Harry made a face as he watched Ginny clean the living room with a few wand movements. "That would make sense. Ron was splinched when we left the Ministry. It was horrible."

Ginny paled at his words. "But he's okay, right?"

"Yeah, Hermione knew what to do," Harry replied.

Settling on the couch, Ginny surveyed her husband. "You miss them, don't you?"

Harry rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Stupid, huh?"

"No, love," Ginny said, pulling him down on the couch. "You've been best friends with them for six years. It only makes sense that you would miss them."

Reaching down, Harry took her hand and planted a kiss on her palm. "I…I do miss them, but I'd rather have you here with me. I realized once they'd left that I tended to rely on them too much. It still makes me a bit angry. I mean I told them for months we should go to Hogwarts and Hermione kept acting like I was an idiot for suggesting it. Just like with Malfoy last year."

"What do you mean?"

"I realized last summer that Malfoy was a Death Eater. I told Ron and Hermione and they didn't believe me. All last school year, I tried to tell them that Draco was up to something and he was behind Katie's attack. I even tried to talk to Remus and your dad, but no one believed me until it was too late," Harry explained. "So while I miss Ron and Hermione, I am much happier with you. You have always supported me and made me feel like I am doing the right thing."

Smiling, Ginny leaned over and kissed him. "I would bet that they miss you, too. Ron has always had a tendency to get angry and just start yelling before he could think. I know how he gets when he has to wait an hour for lunch. I can't imagine what he must have been like without food."

Leaning back against the couch, Ginny sighed. "I love my brother, but he can be an idiot."

Harry laughed. "He can be, but he was my first friend and he's one of my best mates."

"I know," Ginny replied. Smiling up at her husband, she said, "Why don't we go out to eat? We can plan our visit to the keep."

* * *

Ginny sat back on her heels as she surveyed the room from her spot next to the large wardrobe. She shook her head in amazement at the opulence of the room. It was the largest of the bedrooms on the upper floor of the keep. The floor was covered with a thick cream coloured rug. In addition to the wardrobe which she had just searched, there was a large four poster canopied bed covered in blue and cream draperies. Along one wall was a large mahogany chest of drawers, and covering the walls were richly detailed tapestries.

Sighing, Ginny got to her feet and checked the bed. The blue and cream sheets were a cool silk and the heavy duvet had a slightly musty odour. After checking the four posters and headboard, Ginny scanned the room one more time. It had taken her nearly three hours of painstaking work to search the room. The downstairs library had been the worst room to search. It had taken her and Harry together two days of searching to clear the room.

Luckily, once they were in the house, they had yet to find any traps or curses. It had taken Harry several days and more than one injury to figure out how to deactivate the protections on the house so they could enter safely. They had not seen anyone in or around the house and judging by the clothes and décor, no one had lived in the house for several decades.

"Ginny."

"Merlin, you scared me," Ginny said as her husband appeared in the doorway. "Anything?"

"No, I think we can safely say that there is nothing hidden here," Harry said. "Let's head back to the flat and we can regroup from there."

Ginny joined her husband and wrapped her arms around his neck. Pulling her close, Harry Disapparated them away from the keep.

Ginny woke late the next morning. She and Harry had spent the evening, reviewing their options. They had decided to head back to London to see what else they could find out about the Lestranges. Harry was still convinced that Voldemort had entrusted his last Horcrux to his most fanatical follower.

Stretching, she felt for her husband and was rather disappointed to find his side of the bed empty. Looking around the room, she realized it was almost eleven in the morning. She got up and pulled on Harry's t-shirt that she'd thrown on the floor the evening before.

She saw Harry sitting at the kitchen table. He'd obviously gone out for breakfast as a bag with the name of their favourite bakery was sitting next to him. Walking up behind him, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on top of the head.

"Good morning, love."

She sat down at the table and helped herself to a pumpkin muffin and coffee. "Harry, what's wrong, love?"

Wordlessly, he handed her the paper. It was a copy of the _Daily Prophet_. On the front page was a picture of both her and Harry. The headline read, 'Wanted for questioning in the brutal murder of Hogwarts professors.'


	15. Chapter 14  Happy Birthday, Mum

Ginny stared at her reflection in the mirror and tried not to cry. She could see Alicia Spinnet standing off to the side, watching her anxiously.

"Ginny?" Alicia called softly. "Are you okay? It looks nice."

Turning back to the mirror, Ginny reached up and touched her now shoulder length, layered, honey blond hair. "It just looks so different," Ginny said, her voice cracking slightly. "I'm sorry. I know it is just hair, but I don't feel like myself at all." Stepping away from the mirror, Ginny turned to her former teammate. "Okay, let's keep going."

Alicia hugged the younger girl. "It will be okay, Ginny. We're going to meet Harry at Specsavers. He should have had his eye exam already and hopefully his contact lenses will be ready. We can do a bit of shopping before heading over to my aunt's house."

"Alicia." Ginny placed her hand on Alicia's arm stopping her from leaving. "Thank you for helping us. I don't know what we would have done. My family is under surveillance, so we can't exactly go to them for help."

Looking at the younger girl, Alicia said, "This is my way of helping. I'm not as brave as you and Harry. I'm not very good at duelling or fighting, but I can help out a friend in need. My brother and sister came home for the holidays full of praise for you and the other members of the D.A. This is my way of paying you back."

Three hours later, Alicia carefully looked over her companions. Ginny's distinctive red hair was cut and coloured, Harry's hair had been lightened a bit, and his trademark glasses were gone. He now had blue-grey contacts that made him look totally different. She smiled. "You two look good. Different enough that you shouldn't be recognized at first glance. I don't know how well they would hold up to close scrutiny, though."

Harry smiled over at her. "Thanks, Alicia."

As they walked down the streets, Harry said, "Are you sure your aunt doesn't mind us staying in her basement?"

Alicia laughed. "Yes, Harry. I'm sure she doesn't mind. She usually has tenants, but she hasn't let it out for a few months. I hope you don't mind. I told her you two wouldn't mind helping her fix it up a bit."

"That's not a problem," Harry said as he reached for Ginny's hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "Is your aunt a witch or a Muggle?"

"She is a Muggle, so she doesn't know who you are," Alicia explained. "I just told her that you are friends from school."

* * *

"Hermione!"

Turning, Hermione saw Justin Finch-Fletchley hurrying across the courtyard toward her. She had been happily surprised to find that she had a small group of friends at Beauxbatons already. In addition to Justin, Lisa Turpin and Mandy Brocklehurst from her year had transferred to Beauxbatons. Hermione was not even the only Gryffindor. Lauren MacDonald, who was one of Ginny's roommates, and her sister Natalie had also transferred out of Hogwarts.

"Hi, Justin," Hermione greeted him as he caught up with her.

"I'm glad I caught up with you," Justin replied. "Are you headed towards Potions?"

Hermione nodded.

"I am so glad that Beauxbatons does not have dungeons, aren't you?" Justin said easily. "I am amazed at how much better I am doing in Potions with a more competent teacher."

Hermione laughed. "I know what you mean. In some ways I'm upset that I didn't know this was an option earlier. I would have really enjoyed attending school here."

As Justin fell into step with her, he looked at her appraisingly. "Would you really have given up all of your adventures?"

"No," Hermione admitted. "I…I really miss Ron and Harry. They were my first and best friends. Being Harry's best friend has been an amazing adventure that I never could have predicted. I guess now I'm just seeing the path not taken."

The pair entered the Potions classroom and started setting up their cauldrons and ingredients. Justin smiled over at her. "I know what you mean. I've wondered what it would have been like to attend school at Eton or here at Beauxbatons. I don't regret attending Hogwarts, though. Basilisks and evil Professors notwithstanding."

Hermione laughed. "I know. I think I would be an entirely different person if I had not attended Hogwarts."

"Hermione, don't take offense, but are you dating Potter or Weasley?" Justin asked.

A look of surprise crossed Hermione's face. "N-no. Harry is more like a brother to me than anything else. Ron and I…we are just good friends."

Justin smiled. "Good."

"Good?" Hermione asked blushingly.

"Oh, I didn't mean it that way." Justin looked over at her uncertainly. "I just…I heard that we can go into town in two weeks and I was wondering if you would like to go with me?"

Hermione stared at Justin. Had he really just asked her on a date? She had to admit, she had enjoyed getting to know Justin better over the past few weeks. He was smart and witty, quite good-looking and he had actually asked her out. "Sure, Justin. I would like to go into town with you."

* * *

Harry cast a cautious eye down the street. After ensuring no one was watching him, he cast protection spells over the nearest homes. He had gotten into the habit of taking a different route home each day and casting protection spells. He and Ginny had been in London for the past two weeks. They would help Alicia's aunt, Anne Watson, in the morning by fixing up the flat and then use the afternoon and evening to search for possible locations of Hufflepuff's cup.

He hurried back to the flat. He couldn't wait to share his news with Ginny. As he reached the street entrance to their basement flat, he jumped down the stairs and pushed the door open. Following the music, he found Ginny dancing in the kitchen while she was preparing dinner. He watched her for a moment, entranced. She was so graceful and full of life.

He couldn't help himself. He laughed when she picked up Sparkle and started dancing the kitten around their tiny kitchen. She spun around, blushing slightly, but with laughter in her eyes.

She and Sparkle danced over to him and she greeted him with a kiss before turning down the volume on the wireless. "Hi, love."

"Hello, beautiful." Harry laughed as he deepened the kiss. Poor Sparkle squeaked as he pulled Ginny closer. He felt the kitten jump down as Ginny wrapped her arms around his neck. Lifting her into his arms, he set her down on the kitchen counter. He quickly took advantage of the position to slide his hands under her shirt.

As she pulled back slightly, she whispered to him, "Can you make sure the food won't burn?"

He looked confused before a smile lit his face. He cast warming and preservation charms on the food, before turning his attention back to her.

Sometime later, Ginny rested her head on his bare chest as she listened to his heartbeat slowing down. Reaching out with her left hand, she joined hands with him as she drifted off to sleep.

When she woke, it was dark outside and she was alone on the couch covered with a blanket. Smiling, she pulled on Harry's t-shirt that was still on the floor where she'd thrown it. She wandered into the kitchen to find Harry checking on the chicken in the oven. He had taken the time to pull on a pair of jeans, but was shirtless and barefoot. Ginny took a minute to admire him. In the past month and a half, Harry had started gaining back some of the weight he'd lost during the fall. He was still quite slim, but he had a layer of muscle defining his chest and arms.

Her husband turned and smiled at her. He had taken out his contacts so his beautiful green eyes were shining at her. Ducking his head, he pressed a quick kiss on her cheek. "Hi, love."

Taking a seat at the kitchen counter where they usually ate, Ginny watched Harry as he finished putting their meal together. She smiled. "You do that so well."

Looking up from the salad he was putting together, Harry asked, "What do you mean?"

Ginny shrugged a bit self consciously. "I can't seem to get everything ready at the same time. My mum could always get all of the food ready at the same time. I can't do that."

"Love, your mum also uses magic." Harry laughed as Ginny pulled out some plates and utensils.

"You don't," Ginny replied as she poured them each a glass of cold pumpkin juice.

"I have lots of practice," Harry explained as he served up the roasted chicken, potatoes and vegetables. "My loving aunt had me helping with meals as long as I can remember. If I didn't do it well…let's just say that my aunt and uncle would punish me. I learned rather quickly to do it correctly."

Ginny's heart went out to him as she listened to him calmly talking about being punished for not cooking well. She remembered her mum laughing about dropped eggs and burned muffins when she and her brothers helped in the kitchen. Her mum would never have dreamed of forcing one of them to cook an entire meal, much less punish them if it was not cooked correctly.

As they ate, Ginny told him about Fred and George's ventures into cooking. He laughed and even joked about Hermione's attempts to make mushrooms more palatable. After they shared the chore of washing up after dinner, Harry asked, "Would you like to take a walk?"

They walked hand-in-hand through the streets near where Alicia's aunt lived. It was a diverse section of London with a variety of shops and restaurants and the young couple enjoyed walking around seeing the sights. For Ginny, it was an amazing new world. She had never spent so much time in a completely Muggle neighbourhood.

"Guess what?" Harry said as he pulled up his collar against the cold wind.

""What?" Ginny asked. Her bright brown eyes shone in the light from the nearby streetlights.

Harry gestured to a side street she hadn't noticed before. "Come with me."

Curious, Ginny followed him to a small studio set back off in the far corner of the square. He watched her face as she studied the front window.

"Sword fighting?" she read in surprise.

He nodded in excitement. "I stopped by here earlier. I got lost and found this area. I thought maybe as long as I have a sword, I should learn a bit more about it."

Ginny looked up at him and could read the barely suppressed excitement in his eyes. "Should you show your sword around so many Muggles?"

"I talked to the owner, Paul. He said that they start with practice swords and they have swords you can use." He looked down at her. "Would you like to learn with me?"

"Me?" Ginny asked in surprise. "You are the one who has summoned the sword."

Harry laughed. "And you are my wife. It only makes sense that we learn together."

Leaning up to press a kiss on his cheek, Ginny agreed.

* * *

The snow was much deeper than the last time he was here. The cold winter morning was crisp and clear. Reaching out for Ginny's hand, he took a deep breath as he pushed open the gate and led the way into the graveyard.

Leading the way over to his parents' grave, he was surprised to notice a bench he hadn't seen the last time. He stopped short as he realized that someone else had been to visit his parents. There was a small Christmas tree as well as some greenery adorning the grave.

"What's wrong?" Ginny asked.

"Someone's been here," Harry explained. He looked around and deciding it was safe, knelt by his mother's grave. Placing a bouquet of pink and white lilies on her grave stone, he whispered, "Happy birthday, Mum."

Reaching his hand back, Harry tugged Ginny next to him. "Mum, Dad, I'd like to introduce you to my wife, Ginny."

He laughed. "Can you believe that I'm married? I still can't really believe it myself."

The young couple spent some time telling Harry's parents what had happened over the past few months. Finally, Harry leaned over and ran his fingers over his mother's name. "I love you, Mum."

Helping up his wife, the couple headed out of the graveyard.

"Hello."

Harry spun around, his wand barely concealed. He relaxed slightly when he saw the older priest standing in front of him. "Hello, sir. My wife and I were just…visiting my parents. I hope that is alright."

"Of course, my son. We encourage families to visit. I am Father Stephen."

Harry hesitated a moment before he extended his hand. "I am Harry and this is my wife, Ginny."

"Harry, I am glad to see you back again," Father Stephen said. "I saw you several times before Christmas."

"Yes, sir," Harry said. "My relatives did not approve of my parents and I was never able to visit them before."

Father Stephen nodded. "A friend of your parents mentioned you. Remus?"

After exchanging a startled look with Ginny, Harry nodded. "Remus was one of my father's best friends."

"He visits every Christmas," Father Stephen explained. "He mentioned that he had lost touch with you."

"I didn't realize he visited my parents." Harry replied. "I haven't seen him since the summer."

Looking back over the graveyard, Harry turned back to the priest. "My godfather d-died almost two years ago." He swallowed heavily, even after so much time it was still hard to talk about Sirius. "His body was l-lost, so we didn't have a body to bury."

Ginny squeezed his hand as she looked up at him and noticed his eyes shining with unshed tears.. He looked down at her and gathered strength from the love he saw in her eyes. Turning back to Father Stephen, he managed to ask, "Would it be possible to have a s-stone placed to honour him?"

Father Stephen's face softened as he watched the young man before him. Judging from the dates on his parents' gravestones, he realized that Harry must have been quite young when his parents died. To have lost not only his parents, but also his godfather seemed rather cruel. His heart went out to the young man.

"Certainly, my son. If you would like to step into the office, we can help you make the appropriate arrangements."

An hour later, Harry and Ginny left the church satisfied with what they had accomplished. They had decided upon a simple grey stone with Sirius's name and dates. Instead of the Black coat of arms, Harry had decided upon the Potter coat of arms in one corner. The other corner was adorned with a large black dog. Under his name and dates, Harry had asked for a single line to be engraved – _I solemnly swear I am up to no good_.

* * *

Harry opened the gate for Ginny and showed her into his parents' home. He took her hand as he showed her around the lower floor. Sinking down on the couch, he told her about the time he'd stayed here. He sobbed into her neck as he shared the memories he had seen through Tom's eyes of his parents' last moments. Ginny held him and cried with him until he fell asleep. Summoning a pillow and blanket, Ginny settled her husband against her chest and held him while he slept.

Harry awoke with a stiff neck. He smiled sleepily as he realized his head was buried in Ginny's hair. He could feel her hand running through his hair. Lifting his head, it took him a minute to realize where they were.

Blushing, Harry buried his head for a moment. "Sorry, love. Did I fall asleep on you?"

Ginny kissed the top of his head and tightened her arms around him. "Yeah, I was glad to be here for you."

Sitting up, Harry pulled her into a sitting position. He put his glasses on and looked around the room. "I would fall asleep, dreaming about what it would have been like to grow up here with my parents."

"It's a nice house. I bet it would have been a great place to grow up," Ginny said softly. She silently cursed Voldemort for destroying Harry's family, Dumbledore and the circumstances that destroyed his childhood. She could see the love and care that had selected the furniture and pictures that decorated the house. Smiling, she could easily imagine Sirius playing with Harry here.

Harry stood up and then helped Ginny. "Gin, I couldn't go upstairs before. W-will you come upstairs with me?"

"Of course, my love." Ginny squeezed his hand and softly kissed him.

Holding her hand tightly, Harry led the way upstairs. When they reached the top of the stairs, Harry turned to the left side of the house. They found a guest bedroom with a pair of twin beds. From the décor, Harry assumed this is where Sirius and Remus might have stayed when they visited. There was a small sitting room lined with bookcases. Harry smiled as he walked along the shelves. Muggle classics were mixed amongst the romance novels and magical classics. One bookshelf appeared to have James and Lily's old school books. Harry recognized some of the same books he himself had used in class.

Ginny smiled at the array of pictures scattered around the room. There were wedding pictures, pictures of James and Lily, pictures of James, Sirius, and Remus, but by far most of the pictures were of Harry. Harry as a newborn, Harry at Christmas, Harry with his parents, Harry and Sirius. Ginny smiled as she picked up a picture of Sirius holding baby Harry.

Harry wrapped his arms around his wife and looked down at his infant self patting his godfather on his face. "He looks so young."

Putting the picture down, Ginny turned in his arms and held him for a minute. Harry smiled and kissed her on top of the head. Holding tightly to her hand, Harry walked down the hall. Opening one door, Harry looked briefly around a light green bathroom. His mother's make up sat neatly in a box on the edge of the vanity. A pair of toothbrushes sat in the small cup next to the sink.

There were only two doors left, both of which were slightly open. Taking a deep breath, Harry chose the door on the right. He sighed in relief when he realized it was his parents' room. It was decorated in blue, a dark blue rug with lighter blue on the walls. There was a large king sized bed with a blue and gold blanket. A large wardrobe revealed the Potters owned a mixture of Muggle and magical clothing. There was a full length mirror against one wall next to a chest of drawers. A picture of Lily sitting under a tree at Hogwarts sat on one side of the dresser.

Harry reached out a hand to the photo. "She is so beautiful."

Ginny nodded. "She is. I can see a lot of her in you."

He laughed. "I can't imagine that, but I will take your word for it."

Turning, he looked across the hall to the last room. "She knew he was going to kill her, but she just stood there in front of the cot. He k-kept telling her she didn't have to die. I don't know if he r-really expected her to just watch him kill me, but he never had a mother either so maybe he did. H-he k-killed her and she fell in f-front of the cot. He watched me for a minute, almost savouring the moment. I can actually remember the searing pain and the flash of green light."

He wiped the tears from his eyes. "I d-don't feel worthy of their sacrifice. D-did they regret that they had to d-die for me?"

Ginny moved so she stood directly in front of him. "Sweetie, they loved you. I can tell just from the pictures around the house. The stories Sirius told, they loved you and I can't imagine that they regret anything."

Ignoring the tears she knew were streaming down her face, Ginny looked up her husband willing him to believe her. Harry looked down at her, uncertainty etched on his face. "My relatives always told me what a…burden I was and how they wished they didn't have to take care of me. It just seems like such a stretch to go from that to someone willing to die for me. I mean I'm no one special."

"But you are," Ginny whispered. "You are so special. You are brave and noble. You try so hard to do the right thing. I love you so much and I know that your parents did too. Your relatives have no idea how amazing and special you really are. I mean you try so hard to help others. I've watched you spend time with Neville to make sure he understands a spell. You are an amazing Quidditch captain. You really care about your team. You let my mum mother you and don't ever complain. Do you even realize how much you've done for my family? You saved me, my dad, and my brother. You helped the twins realize their dream. I am certain your parents would be so proud of you."

Harry caught her eyes. "Really?"

"Really." Ginny kissed him gently, wishing she could explain to him just how wonderful he really was. "When you were in that graveyard with Tom, your parents came to protect you again. They wanted to make sure you could escape, because they love you. Not because they want you to do anything in particular, but because you are their son."

Wiping her tears impatiently, Ginny said, "I was talking to Sirius and Remus one morning in Grimmauld Place and they were talking about how proud James would have been of you making the Quidditch team in your first year. Not any of the amazing death defying adventures you have had, but just because you are such an awesome Quidditch player."

Harry gave a watery smile. "Sirius told me that I was a better flier than my dad." Gathering her close, he whispered, "Hold me for a minute before we go in there."

Ginny tried to infuse as much of her love into her hug as she could. She held him, freely giving of herself, until he pulled away.

Holding tightly on to her hand, Harry walked across the hall and pushed open the door. Some type of spell must have been cast to protect the room from the elements, but the weak, winter sunlight streamed into the room. It had obviously been lovingly decorated with a Quidditch theme. The walls were painted a buttery yellow with a white chair rail around the room. A toy broom lay forgotten in the far corner.

Harry's eye was drawn immediately into the cot that had been obviously blown to pieces. Portions of the cot and changing table that sat next to it were strewn about the room and some onto the lawn below. He could see pieces of a mobile and bits of pillows about.

He felt his knees buckle as he gazed at the spot where his mother had given her life for him. Ginny immediately slid her arm around his shoulders, offering him her support.


	16. Chapter 15 Dragons, Brothers & Ferrets

Ron gave a sigh of relief as the breakfast rush finished. He waved to Charlie as he headed out onto the dragon reserve. He had never given too much thought to what exactly Charlie did, but his first week on the reserve had opened his eyes. He had spent one day following Charlie around as he fed the dragons, made sure their enclosures were clean and in good repair, and moved one of the dragons up to the mountain enclosure. Ron had lost track of the number of charms Charlie had performed that he had never heard of. It was certainly a long list.

The dragon keepers were involved in research and educating the local magical populace about the dragons. The reserve housed a large magical veterinary centre as well as a magical hospital that specialized in magical creature bites. In addition to the dragon keepers and medical staff, the reserve also employed a large support staff. Ron had never realized that house elves and dragons did not get along, so all of the functions that house elves normally performed had to be done by people. So Ron had found himself employed in the kitchen staff, which on consideration he found preferable to cleaning or laundry.

To his surprise, Ron was able to sign up for classes on the reserve. Most of the children of those working on the reserve were taught at home by their parents, but for more advanced classes, arrangements had been made for self-paced courses in Charms, Transfiguration, Medical Healing, and Care of Magical Creatures. The courses were self-paced and overseen by workers on the reserve. Ron had signed up for Charms and Care of Magical Creatures, which to his surprise he was enjoying.

After hearing from Hermione about all the work she'd put in to catch up with her course work at Beauxbatons, Ron was quite glad he'd not gone that route. Hermione had sent several letters telling him all about her classes, the school, and the friends she had made. He had made an effort to reply at least once after he'd arrived, telling her all about the reserve, but he had not responded to her latest letters.

Ron had spent a lot of time thinking about the events of the fall. He acknowledged that he had not contributed as much as he should have to the hunt. The young wizard really did wish he could tell Harry how sorry he was, but he had to admit he was glad to be someplace where he was warm and had access to plenty of food. He also knew he was still a bit angry at Harry, although he wasn't even certain why. Harry had told them the truth and tried to talk them out of joining him. If Ron was being totally honest, he still felt guilty for leaving his best friend like that.

After working steadily through the morning and afternoon rush, Ron was ready to take his lunch break when his brother showed up in the dining room.

"Ron!"

Making his way quickly over to his brother, Ron asked anxiously, "What's wrong?"

Charlie gestured for his brother to join him in one of the smaller conference rooms. Ron followed him, imagining all kinds of grim news his brother might need to share with him.

Sitting his brother down at the table, Charlie said, "Ron, I've heard from Bill."

When his brother paused, Ron couldn't take it. "Is everyone okay? Is someone hurt?"

"No one is hurt," Charlie hastened to reassure him. "You know that the Ministry announced that Ginny is wanted for questioning in the death of the Carrows?"

Ron nodded impatiently and Charlie continued, "I've heard from Dad and Bill and they both think that the _Prophet_ is trying to discredit Harry and Ginny in any way possible."

"Okay," Ron said slowly. The_ Prophet_ had run several articles about the elusive couple. To the Weasleys' dismay, they had dredged up the events from Ginny's first year, hinting that Ginny was somehow tainted. Interviews with ever cooperative Slytherins painted Ginny as a 'scarlet woman' to quote Mrs. Weasley. Ron had incinerated the papers that talked about Harry and Hermione's true love and the insinuation that Ginny had used love potions in an attempt to get Harry for herself.

Charlie slowly took a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ from his pocket. Ron braced himself for another round of horrible stories, but nothing could have prepared him for the pictures on the front page of the _Prophet_. A large colour picture showed his sister in a passionate embrace with Draco Malfoy. If that wasn't bad enough, in the accompanying story, Draco told how Ginny had seduced him and forced him to betray his true love, Pansy Parkinson. To make matters worse, pictures of Ginny and Blaise Zabini were also featured in the article.

* * *

Ginny smiled as she watched her husband finish painting the back bedroom of the basement flat. It had been over a week since their emotional visit to Godric's Hollow, and it seemed to have brought them even closer as a couple.

She was glad to see him in such a good mood today. Two nights earlier, he had woken from a nightmare and sobbed in her arms about his fears of not being able to defeat Voldemort. They had talked at length about what might happen if one or both of them did not survive the coming confrontation. She knew that Harry had made arrangements so she would be taken care of financially if he died, but she tried not to dwell on what she knew was a possible outcome.

A knock on the door distracted her. Hurrying over to answer, Ginny was surprised to see Alicia standing in the doorway.

Gesturing her in, Ginny said, "Alicia, what are you doing here? I thought you were working today."

"I am working, but I needed to talk to you. Is Harry here?" Alicia said as she made her way to the barstools by the kitchen counter.

"Hi, Alicia," Harry said as he joined them. "What's up?"

Looking straight at Ginny, Alicia brought out the newspaper. "You need to see this."

Ginny felt her blood draining from her face when she saw the picture of her kissing Draco Malfoy. She heard voices next to her, but couldn't tell what they were saying. She would remember kissing Malfoy, right?

Turning, Ginny vomited on the floor. Harry gathered her close as she swayed. Alicia cleaned up the floor, feeling slightly guilty after seeing how overwrought Ginny was at the sight of the pictures.

"That's not me," Ginny whispered. "I wouldn't …I wouldn't do that." She grabbed onto Harry's shirt. "Please, believe me. I didn't…"

"Ssh, it's okay," Harry said soothingly. While the pictures made him want to vomit as well, his common sense kicked in after his initial response to the pictures. He knew Ginny. She would never willingly kiss Malfoy. Forcing himself to look at the pictures, he said, "It must be a picture of Pansy."

"Pansy?" Alicia said. Understanding flooded her face. "The Polyjuice Potion."

Harry scanned the article quickly. He made a face at the insinuations that Ginny had seduced Malfoy as well as having a sexual relationship with Blaise. With a wave of his wand, Harry cast an _Incendio_ on the paper, taking a grim delight in watching it burn.

With a whispered apology, Alicia showed herself out. Harry gathered his wife up in his arms and carried her to bed. He held her as she cried herself to sleep. As he watched his wife sleep, he swore he would make Malfoy pay for his lies.

* * *

Several hours later, Harry had finally convinced Ginny that they needed to go out to eat. He spent the afternoon flirting, stealing kisses and generally showing Ginny that he believed her and did not blame her for the lies of others.

Harry took Ginny into central London. They marvelled over the Tower of London and walked along the river.

"I wish I could make sure my family knows the truth," Ginny said softly.

"I know, love," Harry said, bringing her hand up to kiss the back of it.

Ginny winced and Harry cast another Numbing Charm on the small tattoo on her inner wrist. He smiled to see his name and a small lightning bolt tattooed on her arm. Ginny had decided she wanted a mark that only the two of them knew about.

"Those pictures were horrible," Ginny had argued. "I want a mark that you will know to look for to show that it is me."

Even after he'd pointed out that he'd known the pictures were not real, Ginny insisted she wanted to do it. He reciprocated with her name on his inner wrist surrounded by a heart.

* * *

Ron made his way back to the quarters he shared with his brother. He winced slightly, his face and jaw still sore from the punch Charlie threw after Ron's initial reaction to the article about Ginny. When he pushed open the door, he stopped at the unexpected sight.

"Bill? What are you doing here?" Ron hurried to greet his oldest brother.

"I came to see how you were settling in here," Bill replied easily, giving his brother a one armed hug.

The three brothers made themselves comfortable in the small kitchenette. Charlie cracked open the bottle of firewhiskey Bill had brought with him. Ron looked between his older brothers a bit uneasily.

"How is it going?" Bill asked Ron.

"Okay, I'm working in the kitchen and taking a few classes," Ron said.

Charlie fixed a plate of sandwiches and grabbed a few bags of crisps as Ron told his brother about his life on the reserve.

"How are things at home?" Ron asked.

Bill sighed. "Not great. We just found out that Ted Tonks was killed."

"Tonks' dad?" Ron asked in surprise.

Bill nodded. "Yeah, Dora is pretty torn up about it. Remus is really worried about her. She is due next month."

"Ron," Bill looked at his brother with compassion. "Dean Thomas was also killed. We found him and Ted together."

Ron stared at his brother in confusion. "No, that's not possible. D-Dean is my age. We…we heard them that night. They were doing better than we were."

Looking into his glass of firewhiskey, Ron missed the look that was exchanged between his two older brothers.

"What do you mean, Ron?" Bill asked.

Silence hung heavy while Ron seemed to gather his thoughts. "The night Harry and I got into our fight. We heard a group of others including Ted Tonks and Dean. There were some Goblins as well. We heard them talking about Harry and they talked about Ginny trying to steal the Sword of Gryffindor. The Goblins said the sword was not the real one. Harry and Hermione started getting so excited. Maybe Dumbledore had hidden this for Harry. Maybe we needed to find the sword. I…I just got so angry."

"Why, Ron? What really happened?" Charlie asked.

Instead of answering, Ron finished his drink in three long swallows. He felt the burn as it crawled down his throat, a feeling of warmth spread throughout his body. For a moment, he felt the intense feelings of worthlessness and jealousy that had overcome him that night.

"You wouldn't understand. I…I hate not being someone."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Bill asked.

"I'm the sixth son. You are the oldest, the good-looking one, the curse breaker. Charlie was a Quidditch captain. People really looked up to him. Even Percy was Head Boy. The twins are funny and rich. They have all of these cool inventions. Ginny is the only girl so everything she does is new. I can't do anything new or different that someone else in my family hasn't done," Ron burst out.

"So what do I do? I become best friends with Harry Bloody Potter. He's rich, he's famous, he is an amazing Quidditch player, a Tri-Wizard Champion and I'm just his best friend. Mum fusses over him. I swear she likes him better than me sometimes. And Hermione…why would she look at me when he is there?" Ron finished sadly, sipping more whiskey.

"What a load of dragon shite," Charlie said after looking at his brother for a minute.

"There are seven of us," Bill said. "There are moments when all of us feel less important, but Mum and Dad love all of us. I remember when you visited me in Egypt. Dad kept going on about how brave you were and how you were such a loyal friend to Harry. You've had a big impact since your first year."

"As Harry's sidekick," Ron said bitterly.

"Why are you so angry at Harry?" Bill asked. "I know you don't really believe Mum loves him better than you. He just need mothering more than you do."

"What does that mean?"

Bill laughed. "I've seen it myself. Mum fusses over you, making sure your laundry is done or you have enough food and you tell her to back off or you've got it. Harry lets her fuss. 'Yes, Mrs. Weasley' and 'Thank you, Mrs. Weasley.'"

Charlie agreed with his brother. "I don't think Harry's had much love in his life."

Ron slowly swirled the amber liquid in his glass. "I know. He…he's always so surprised that people do something nice for him. He was so surprised that first Christmas that he was getting Christmas presents. I don't think those Muggles he lived with treated him very well."

"Right, so do you think he sees you as a sidekick?" Bill asked gently.

"No," Ron sighed. "He's always been a great friend. I just feel so…small next to him sometimes. Aside from…his history, he just seems to get everything. He's rich – he's got a Firebolt and nice clothes…"

Bill slammed his hand down on the table. "Ron, how did he get his money?"

"From his parents," Ron said, looking at his brother in confusion.

"Right," Bill said. "Which do you think he would rather have – the money or his parents?"

Ron's face fell. "His parents."

"Exactly," Charlie said. "Ron, you need to get past this. From what I've heard, this isn't the first time this has come up. You and Harry are best mates and have been from your first train ride. He is wealthy and famous. You need to accept that."

Ron felt the sting of tears in his eyes, but his brothers weren't done.

"Ron, we aren't ganging up on you or trying to make you feel bad. We just know that if you can get past this, you can be whatever you want," Charlie said.

"What did you mean about Hermione?" Bill asked. "You like her, don't you?

Ron squirmed uncomfortably. "Well, yeah. She's one of my best friends."

"Not like that," Bill chided him. "You like her. Why do you have such a hard time admitting it?"

Ron glared at his brother before he said, "Fine, I like her. Okay?"

"So why haven't you done anything about it?" Charlie asked.

"What do you mean?" Ron said defensively.

Bill shook his head. "Don't get mad at us. We're here to help. Have you ever told her you liked her?"

"No."

"Have you ever asked her out?"

"No."

"Why not?" Bill asked curiously.

"What if she doesn't like me the same way?" Ron burst out. "I don't want to ruin our friendship."

"Why wouldn't she like you?" Bill asked gently.

"Why?" Ron asked incredulously. "She's smart and pretty and she could do so much better than me. Why would she pick me over him?"

Ron glared at his brothers when they exchanged a smile. "What does that mean?"

"Why do you think this is a contest between you and Harry?" Bill asked.

"What?" Ron looked confused. "He's her other best friend. They don't fight like me and Hermione do. He knows when to say the right thing."

Charlie smiled. "Ron, just because they are friends doesn't mean he likes her. I've never seen or heard anything to indicate that he likes her like that."

Bill agreed. "I really don't think he likes her in that way."

After letting Ron think about it, Bill said, "I heard that Harry was dating Ginny."

Ron rolled his eyes. "He was dating her at the end of last year, but he broke up with her. He said he's too dangerous to be around."

"So he didn't break up with her because he didn't like her," Bill clarified.

"No."

"That doesn't sound like he likes Hermione," Charlie said quietly.

Bill put his hand on Ron's arm. "Ron, you have so many things to offer. You're funny and brave. You are a good and loyal friend. I think that whatever happened out there, it really affected you. Just think about what we've talked about."

Ron nodded, but didn't verbally respond to his brother. Charlie added, "Ron, take it from me. You need to curb your temper and you need to think before you talk. That is what gets you in the most trouble."

He paused and looked at his younger brother. "You are very lucky that Ginny didn't hear what you said about her."

"I…I didn't mean it like that," Ron said miserably. "I just never expected to see my baby sister snogging ferret-boy Malfoy on the front page of the _Prophet_."

"I didn't either, but I didn't call her a whore," Charlie said sharply.

Bill reached out and smacked his brother on the back of the head. "Is that why Charlie pounded on you?"

"You can't tell me you didn't think that!" Ron said hotly.

"No," Bill said flatly. "I was horrified at the picture, but I did not think my sister was the whore she is being portrayed to be."

Ron sighed, but did not respond. He sat quietly the rest of the evening, listening to his brothers and enjoying their company. They had given him a lot to think about.

* * *

Dean Thomas's death brought home to Hermione the dangers of her position. The day the news broke, the former Hogwarts students at Beauxbatons had spent the day together, grieving not only Dean but grieving the losses to their way of life. Hermione shared with them the fears she had in wiping her parents' memories and sending them to Australia. Mandy's mother had been killed the year before in a Death Eater attack on London. Mandy's father had pulled her from Hogwarts and sent her to Beauxbatons. The Turpins and MacDonalds had both moved with their families to France to escape the persecution of Muggleborns. Justin worried about his family still in England. He was the only magical person in his family. He had chosen to leave them, hoping they could blend into the Muggle community.

"I got a letter from Colin," Lauren told them. "He and Dennis are attending their local secondary school, but still reading their Hogwarts books at night. It must be so frustrating to know about magic, but be unable to practice it."

Justin nodded. "I can't imagine what it must be like for the two of them, but at least they are together."

"Do you know how Dean ended up on the run?" Lisa asked Hermione.

Hermione shook her head. "No, the night we heard him, all we heard was Ted had run into him a few days before."

"His poor mum," Mandy said. "He was really close to her. He has two younger sisters, neither of whom are witches. His mother didn't know if his father was a wizard or not. He had abruptly left them when Dean was a baby. They didn't know for the longest time what had happened to him. He was killed and Dean thought looking back, it may have been a Death Eater attack."

She blushed when she noticed the others looking at her. "I had a big crush on him at the end of fifth year. Unfortunately for me, he only had eyes for Ginny."

"It is scary to think he was on the run with at least two full wizards and two Goblins and they got caught," Lisa said, rescuing her friend.

Hermione nodded. "It was scary out there. I don't think I realized until later how dangerous it was. We were just lucky that we didn't get caught."

"I still can't believe you went into the Ministry and rescued all of those Muggleborns," Justin said.

Blushing, Hermione said, "Trust me, I can't believe we got away with it either. It is a good thing that Harry is so good in a crisis. I may be better at planning, but when it comes down to the execution, he and Ron are always much better than me."

Lauren smiled at her. "You miss them, don't you?"

"I do. I've been best friends with them since first year," Hermione said.

"Do you have any idea where Harry might be?" Natalie asked.

Hermione sighed. "I wish I did. I can only hope that he and Ginny are together. I think they are both in a lot of danger."

Lauren nodded. "I hope so, too. She is one of my best friends. Not only do I worry about her, but I have to read all of the lies the _Prophet_ writes about her."

"Why do you think the _Prophet_ is going after her?" Natalie asked Hermione.

Hermione made a face. "I think they are trying to turn people against her."

"What do you mean?" Justin asked.

Hermione took a moment to marshal her thoughts. "Someone tried to kidnap her at the end of last term. If as we think, Harry rescued her, they might be trying to drive them apart or at least make it so people would be less willing to help her. If they are on the run, they need help. If Ginny is seen as a…slag who will sleep with Death Eaters, people will not want to help her."

"I think it's a bit more than that," Lisa said. "I think they are trying to make people think she is not worthy of Harry. I mean anyone willing to help them will be thinking of Harry as the Chosen One. I think by portraying her as a weak person, they are trying to show she is not worthy of being with him."

* * *

Harry smiled and reached over for Ginny's hand as they walked back from their sword lessons. He was surprised at how much fun they were having at the lessons. He was thankful that they had something going well as the combination of the lack of progress on the last Horcrux and the articles in the paper had them both discouraged. The articles in the_ Prophet _were tearing her apart, especially because she had no idea how her family was reacting to the papers.

"Harry, what is that?"

Looking around, Harry saw smoke coming from a few blocks away. They hurried in that direction.

As they turned the corner, Harry recognized the familiar black robes and masks of the Death Eaters. They were going through a shop, burning the books and tormenting a small group of Muggles.

Harry felt a thrill of fear when he saw a body dressed in Auror robes, lying broken on the pavement. He turned to his wife and saw the horror and determination in her eyes. Pulling his wand, he quickly cast a Disillusionment Charm on both of them.

As they neared the scene, Harry gestured for Ginny to circle around and they cautiously started to see what they can do to help.

Ginny started towards the Auror, but backed away in horror when she realized he was dead. She turned her attention to the Muggles. There were five people on the ground, three men and two women and she guessed they were all in their mid to late twenties. Two of the men were unconscious and the other man was bleeding heavily. The two women had been separated from the men. Ginny stunned one of the Death Eaters hitting them from behind. She quickly bound them up and turned her attention to the Muggles.

Moving over to the women, she guided them into the shadows. Realizing they might be scared if they thought an invisible person helping them, Ginny quickly reversed the Disillusionment Charm so they could see her. Glad for the Muggle first aid Harry had taught her, Ginny helped the women with their injured friends.

Harry quickly entered the shop itself. There were a group of five Death Eaters pulling books off the shelves and throwing them on the growing fire. In the flickering firelight, Harry could see the books they pulled were all Muggle books depicting witches. He saw _The Wizard of Oz,_ _The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe_, and _The Witch of Blackbird Pond_ fly into the fire. There were stacks of books, all with the word witch or wizard somewhere in the title.

Shaking his head in amazement, Harry made his way through the darkness of the shop, picking off the Death Eaters one by one. He managed to stun and bind three of the Death Eaters before they realized they were under attack. As the Death Eaters turned and started searching for him, their leader started shooting spells blindly into the stacks.

Changing his pattern of attack, Harry glanced outside and saw that Ginny was taking care of the Muggles. He cast a silent _Aguamenti_, causing water to pour out of his wand, damping down the fire.

While the charm put out the fire, it had the unfortunate side effect of alerting the Death Eaters to his position. He felt a Cutting Curse slice across his leg and he dodged a purple curse that looked rather dangerous.

Taking advantage of his invisibility, Harry jumped across the floor of the shop and shot off a pair of stunners. While neither hit their mark, they did force his opponents to dive out of the way.

"Marcus, we need to get out of here."

Harry came to a halt. He knew that voice. Shooting a Tripping Jinx, he sent his quarry sprawling. The Death Eater he recognized as Marcus Flint Apparated out, leaving Harry alone with Draco Malfoy.

As Draco got to his feet, Harry sent him crashing to the ground with a fist to the jaw.

"You're not so tough without your pals to back you up, are you, Malfoy?"

Draco looked around as Harry reversed the spell making him visible. Blanching, Draco regained his swagger quickly. "Where's your little tart? The Dark Lord wasn't pleased that she escaped."

Not bothering to respond, Harry sent a Cutting Curse slicing across Draco's arm. Draco cursed as he grabbed his arm. "How did you like the pictures, Potter? Blaise and I have been arguing who she enjoyed snogging the most."

Harry laughed as he sent another curse in Draco's direction. "Did you forget it was your slag in the pictures, Malfoy? She did seem to enjoy snogging Blaise. Should you be worried?"

Draco ripped off his mask and yelled, "_Crucio!_"

Diving to the floor, Harry avoided the Unforgivable. Summoning a stack of books, Harry sent them flying at Draco.

"Harry, we need to get going!" Ginny called from the doorway.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Harry slammed his fist into the side of Draco's face sending him reeling. As she saw who his opponent was, Ginny joined Harry in the shop. Calling up the skills her oldest brothers taught her, Ginny slammed her knee into Draco's groin.

"I am not a slag! I would not touch you if you were the last man in the world!" Ginny yelled in his face.

Pulling on Ginny's arm, Harry said, "We need to go."

As they reached the door, Harry heard Malfoy mutter a spell. Pushing Ginny out of the way, Harry turned and sent a Bludgeoning Curse at Malfoy, breaking his leg . Ginny turned and yelled an incantation at him, sending Bat-Bogeys flapping around his face. Striding over to his school nemesis, Harry yanked Draco's wand out of his hand.

"You won't need this."

Harry and Ginny hurried away as the Aurors and Magical Reversal Squad started Apparating into the site.


	17. Chapter 16  Consequences

Harry fidgeted with an old hair magazine as he waited for Ginny. She had disappeared into the back of the shop almost an hour earlier. The two of them had travelled to Inverness for the day so Ginny could change her hair. They wanted to pick a place to which neither of them could be connected. It had been a busy two days since their run in with Malfoy and the other Death Eaters. Concerned about being tracked back to Anne's house, Harry and Ginny had taken Sparkle and left London the day after the fight.

They had settled back in Godric's Hollow for the time being. Harry had not been severely injured in the fight, but his sleep the past two nights had been broken up by visions of Malfoy and the others involved in the fight being tortured. Harry rubbed his eyes as he recalled the visions from the first night.

Draco had managed to Apparate out of the shop while the Aurors were busy with the Muggles outside. Narcissa met him in the front hallway of Malfoy Manor, but instead of being allowed to take him to his room or even take him to be treated at St Mungo's, she'd been forced to watch him be taken in for an audience with the Dark Lord.

Harry had woken screaming after watching Draco collapse in a puddle of blood as Voldemort refused to allow his obviously broken leg to be treated before questioning him about the night's activities. Luckily for Draco, Voldemort had expended most of his rage by killing Marcus Flint, the first Death Eater to return. Upon hearing that not only had five of his Death Eaters been captured and left for the Aurors, but that Harry Potter was responsible, Voldemort killed Marcus without a second thought. Harry had lost count of the number of time the Cruciatus had been used over the next hour or so. He'd woken from his vision vomiting and shivering. While he wanted Draco punished, the extent of Voldemort's revenge made him physically ill. Ginny had held him for hours.

"Harry."

Pulled from his reverie, Harry looked up. He smiled as he stood and walked over to his wife. She looked up at him uncertainly as she touched her now dark brown hair with auburn highlights. She hadn't changed the length, but her hair was styled differently. He couldn't tell exactly what she'd had done, but he liked it.

Walking up to her, he cupped her cheek with his hand. "You look beautiful."

Looking up into his eyes, Ginny searched them. "You like it?"

Twirling her hair around his hand, he leaned in and kissed her softly. "Yes, you look great. Do you like it?"

Looking over her shoulder into the mirror, Ginny reached up and touched her hair. "I think I do. I like the colour."

After they paid, the couple left the hair salon hand-in-hand.

* * *

Narcissa waited anxiously for her dear friend Cordelia Zabini to join her in the Zabini's smallest sitting room. Even in her anxiety, Narcissa eyed the luxurious setting covetously. Cordelia had made a career of marrying for money. Each of her husbands seemed to die mysteriously, leaving her a fortune. The Zabini home, like Grimmauld Place, was in Muggle London. But unlike the Black family home, the Zabini home was clean and richly appointed.

While she had not wanted to leave Draco, Narcissa knew that she needed to see Cordelia. The five boys who had been caught by Potter had been released earlier that morning with a warning from the Ministry. Narcissa knew their true punishment would be awaiting them at Malfoy Manor, so she had agreed to meet Cordelia here.

"I've got it," Cordelia said excitedly as she entered the room. Cordelia reached into her pocket and pulled out two pictures. The first picture clearly showed Harry Potter with his wand drawn, facing off against and unseen opponent. Narcissa smiled when she saw the second picture. Harry was standing in the doorway and looking back over his shoulder into the shop, his face clearly seen. His arm was wrapped around a girl with blond hair. The girl was looking outside, not toward the camera so her face was not visible.

"How did you get these?" Narcissa asked curiously.

Cordelia laughed. "One of Ken's men. He was able to get the pictures from the Muggle security system."

Naricssa nodded. Ken had been one of Cordelia's husbands, her fourth if Narcissa remembered correctly. Ken had been a Pureblood, but he had created a network of Muggle associates to do most of his dirty work. Narcissa had always had the impression that Ken's men were criminal, but she didn't know for certain.

"Did he agree to the plan?" Cordelia asked.

Narcissa nodded. "Bellatrix and Lucius convinced him that it was a good idea. Pansy was more than happy to help. She will be meeting with the reporter tomorrow. Severus has agreed to let her go into Hogsmeade for the day. Luckily, she thought ahead and kept some of the girl's hair for just this occasion."

* * *

Ginny hummed quietly as she looked around the store. Grocery shopping was one of the chores she had always enjoyed as a child and one she found easy to do in the Muggle world. She still had trouble with Muggle appliances, so cooking and cleaning were difficult for her, but shopping was easy. She loved the way Godric's Hollow had so seamlessly melded the magical and Muggle worlds. She and Harry had talked about living here eventually and Ginny could see herself living in this community. After she completed her grocery shopping, she ducked into the magical general store next door to the store.

The general store was small, but well maintained. They carried parchment and quills, owl treats, and a small selection of grocery items such as butterbeer and pumpkin juice. At a small counter, owl order forms were available to order potion ingredients. Ginny picked up some butterbeer and pumpkin juice before she saw them.

The small selection of magical magazines and newspapers were plastered with pictures of both Harry and herself. Some of the pictures were older pictures, but there were more recent pictures of both of them. She felt the blood drain from her face when she saw her own picture on the cover of the current edition of _Witch Weekly,_ along with the claim of an exclusive interview.

With a shaking hand, she picked up not only the magazine, but also the _Daily Prophet_. A picture of Harry fighting in the bookstore was on the front page. Turning the paper over, she saw a picture of her and Harry walking away from the bookstore. The headline read: **Potter Gone Wild?**

Adding both the magazine and the paper to her purchases, she hurried back to the cottage.

Harry hurried back to the house after spending the morning visiting his parents' grave. He was happy to see that Sirius's plaque had been installed. The young wizard had told them about their stay in London and the sword lessons he and Ginny had been taking. He had even talked about the Lestranges and where else they might be hiding the cup of Hufflepuff.

It was a cold late February morning and snow was piled up along the roads. Harry smiled when he remembered Ginny's amazement at the snow ploughs that cleared the roads. She had never seen a snow plough before. While she and her brothers had to occasionally dig out the snow around the Burrow, for any major snow clearing her parents had Vanished the snow.

Entering the house, Harry walked through to the kitchen. He was surprised to see Ginny was home. The groceries had been left on the kitchen table, but Ginny wasn't there. He started to feel a bit nervous. Grabbing the cold food, he threw it in the cold pantry quickly and with a wave of his wand, sent the rest of the groceries to the cupboards.

"Ginny!"

Harry walked cautiously through the house with his wand drawn. He found Ginny in his father's study. She was curled up on the couch reading a magazine with Sparkle curled up with her. She didn't look up right away when he entered the room.

"Gin," Harry said softly as he approached her. He knelt down next to the couch. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

When she looked up at him, Harry could see tear tracks down her face. His heart turned over as he reached out for her hand. "What happened?

Wordlessly, she handed him the _Daily Prophet. _He groaned at the pictures of him on the front page. Scanning the article, his face darkened as he read how he had ruthlessly attacked Draco Malfoy while Draco attempted to apprehend him, after Harry had killed the Auror. A picture of a tortured and wane looking Draco was on the inside of the paper. The article built upon all of the previous articles that had portrayed Harry as a disturbed and deranged individual. Draco on the other hand was portrayed as the son of an upstanding family. He was Quidditch captain as well as Head Boy at Hogwarts.

Harry snorted contemptuously at his school rival. He eyes darkened as he read the allegations against Ginny. The paper alleged that Harry was with an unidentified young woman and Ginny was nowhere to be seen.

"They think I left you?" He asked angrily.

She handed him the magazine with her picture on the cover. She had opened it to the interview. He read the article slowly.

**Meeting Ginny Weasley**

By Liz Symthe

_I met Ginny Weasley as she left a Dark party. This was the first of many surprises about this beautiful, sensual young woman. Dark parties are a relatively new phenomena. They are parties for young people who, while they are not so-called Death Eaters, they support the Pureblood agenda of the Dark Lord's supporters._

_Surprised that the daughter of a prominent family of blood traitors would be attending a Dark party, I asked her about that. She explained that she had been exposed to many new ideas over the first term of this school year. Her well publicized liaisons with prominent Slytherins Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini showed her that Slytherins are not evil. She left Hogwarts to explore her options as a young Pureblood witch._

_Ginny declined to comment on the deaths of Hogwarts Professors Alecto and Amycus Carrow, except to say that she did not know what had happened and she was sorry to hear about their deaths. She felt they made a positive addition to the Hogwarts staff. When I pointed out she was wanted for questioning in connection with their deaths, she intimated that was no longer an issue._

_I was a bit skeptical of her sudden change in attitude, but as she explained it was the culmination of many things. Her recently publicized involvement in the Chamber of Secrets during her first year, was her first introduction to so-called Dark Magic. Ginny shared that she actually conversed with the preserved memory of the Dark Lord on a regular basis._

_Ginny stated that exposure caught her interest. Over the past five years she has privately sought out information about Dark Magic, but she knew that her family would not support her interest so she left Hogwarts to strike out on her own._

_When asked about her alleged romance with Harry Potter, Ginny downplayed that relationship. She admits that she had a crush on him for several years and she briefly dated him last spring, but denies that it was a meaningful relationship.__She denied any interest in a serious relationship at this point in time. This is another point of contention between Ginny and her family._

_Ginny shared her upcoming__ plans with me. She recently posed for _Playwizard_. That issue will be available for sale next week. She is enjoying life in London with her new friends. I commend her for seeing through the misguided teachings of her family and taking her place in society as a Pureblood witch supporting a Dark agenda._

Ginny watched his face change as he read through the article. When he finished reading, he tossed the magazine aside. Sitting on the couch, he lifted her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. She relaxed slowly into his embrace as he ran his hand through her hair and gently kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry, love," he said softly.

Speaking for the first time since he'd arrived home, Ginny said brokenly, "Why are they doing this?"

"I don't know, but I promise that someday everyone will know the truth," Harry said and he held her as she cried.

* * *

Neville slammed the lid of his trunk shut. "Did you see Parkinson laughing?"

He had been ranting since breakfast when the first copies of the _Daily Prophet_ and _Witch Weekly_ made their way into the Great Hall.

Seamus nodded. "The only good thing is it looked like Harry kicked Malfoy's arse."

A knock on the door caused them to turn as Demelza, Lavender, and Parvati crowded in the doorway.

Neville waved them in. "Come on in, we are just talking about those horrible articles."

"I hate that some people actually believe the articles," Demelza said. "Ginny would never do that. I hope Pansy didn't really pose for _Playwizard_. The pictures will be out there forever."

"I know," Parvati said as she sat down on Dean's bed. "I wish there was some way we could let her know we believe her."

Demelza turned to Neville. "Do you think Luna's dad would be willing to publish a story defending them? I know he's been writing stories in support of Harry. I just hate that Ginny is getting slammed all over the place and she can't defend herself."

"I can ask her," Neville said. "I'd like to feel that we are doing something."

His face lit up suddenly. "Kreacher!"

A small pop heralded the arrival of the small elf. Kreacher had appeared after the holidays and told them to call him if they needed help. He would still provide food and potions, even if Ginny was no longer with them.

"Yes, young master. Do you require Kreacher's services?"

Neville knelt down next to the elf. "Kreacher, is Ginny okay?"

The elf's face dropped. "Mistress is unhurt, but upset about the articles. Master is angry at the bad men who lied about Mistress in the paper."

"So Harry and Ginny are together?" Seamus asked.

Kreacher's face crumpled and he ran toward the closest chest of drawers and slammed his fingers in the drawer.

Demelza gasped. "Kreacher, please don't. We won't tell anyone."

Nodding, Kreacher kept his eyes downcast.

"Kreacher," Neville said quietly. "Can you tell Ginny that we believe in her and we support her?"

"We really hate all of the horrible stories about her. We know Ginny and we know she would never do such a thing," Demelza said. "Please tell her that."

Kreacher nodded. "Mistress will be happy to hear her friends believe in her."

* * *

Justin greeted Hermione with a smile as she left her classroom. "Good afternoon. How was Ancient Runes?"

"Really good. Madame Broussard is such a good teacher," Hermione responded with a smile. "I was going to the library. Do you want to join me?"

"Sure," Justin said as they turned down the hall. "I have a Herbology essay to work on and I think Mandy will be there as well."

Hermione grimaced slightly. "I think she's trying to stay out of the common room."

Over the past week, the former Hogwarts students had split over the issue of Harry and Ginny. Lauren and Natalie were continuing to defend Ginny, while Mandy and Lisa were convinced of her guilt. Surprisingly, Hermione and Justin were undecided.

Hermione was concerned about her best friend. She worried about him fighting Malfoy. He should be searching for Horcruxes, not picking fights with Malfoy in London. Had Ginny really had enough and run away? Hermione really didn't think so, but knowing the Weasley temper, she could see the possibility. Hadn't Neville and Seamus said they had destroyed all of the Polyjuice Potion?

Hermione sighed as she sat down at one of the smaller tables in the large two story library. Justin sent her a searching glance as he put down his bag and sat opposite of her. "What was that sigh for?"

"Just the whole situation," Hermione replied wearily. "I wish I knew what was going on. I love Harry like a brother and he is one of my best friends. I don't want to think badly of him."

"But...?" Justin prodded.

"But he does have a temper and if he thought or knew that Ginny was...exploring Dark Magic, he might go after Malfoy," Hermione said reluctantly.

"Would she?" Justin asked curiously. "I don't really know Ginny. I know of her of course. She's pretty and popular, but she had dated quite a bit. I heard she didn't treat Michael or Dean that well toward the end."

"I don't know. Ginny is one of the few girl friends that I have. We don't have all that much in common, but we sort of...banded together in face of all of the boys in the Weasley house. I've always seen her as more of a little sister. I just...I keep thinking, I haven't been a good friend to her. If Ron or Harry needed me, I dropped her. This summer, I know she must have been hurt when Harry broke up with her, but I didn't... I was so focused on our mission that I thought it had been a good move on Harry's part," Hermione said miserably.

"There's something else, isn't there?" Justin asked softly.

"I keep thinking about last Christmas. Ron got so jealous that I had briefly dated Viktor Krum in fourth year that he started dating Lavender Brown. I was so hurt because I thought that...Ron and I had started something, so I took Cormac McLaggen to the Christmas party because I knew it would hurt Ron." Hermione blushed as she thought of her motivations. "That thought keeps coming back to me. Maybe if Ginny thought Harry had left her or she wanted to lash out at him...who could she go after that would hurt him worse than Malfoy?"

* * *

Ginny laughed as she watched Sparkle jump around chasing coloured bubbles. Harry had taught her the spell and she loved to watch Sparkle playing. In the weeks since Kreacher had brought the messages of support from her friends, Ginny was feeling much better about herself. Harry had been nothing but supportive and loving, which of course helped a lot. The two of them had been travelling a lot the past few weeks searching for the last Horcrux. They had visited the Lestrange mansion in France as well as several other locations in their search.

She had read Dumbledore's journals and for a time was concerned about Harry's apparent fascination with the Deathly Hallows. After spending quite a bit of time talking about the possibilities, Harry faced up to the fact that he needed to concentrate on the Horcruxes, not the Hallows. His resolve had been tested when he witnessed Voldemort taking Dumbledore's wand from his grave, but as Ginny pointed out, Harry didn't think that he could have broken open his former mentor's grave.

"Hey, beautiful!"

Ginny turned as Harry entered the room. He leaned down and kissed her before rubbing Sparkle on the top of the head.

"Hi. How was your trip to the graveyard?"

"Good." Harry smiled as he dropped down onto the floor next to her. "That sounds really weird, doesn't it? A good trip to the graveyard. Sirius's stone is in place and it looks really good. I think he and my dad would both like that."

"I think they would have." Ginny smiled as she leaned into him. "They seemed like they were more like brothers than best friends. At least judging from the pictures all over this house."

"Yeah, I wish they had some photo albums or something. I've never seen a picture of my grandparents before," Harry said.

"Well, I bet there are some in your vault. That's where all of the valuable stuff would be," Ginny replied.

"I never really looked around my vault," Harry said. "I was so amazed that I had anything. It didn't even dawn on me to inventory it or anything. I know that S-Sirius's stuff was added to my vault, but I haven't seen it in a few years."

Ginny squeezed his hand as he tripped over his godfather's name. He hugged her to him before he stiffened.

"Merlin, it can't be."

"What?"

"Kreacher!"

"Harry? What's going on?" Ginny asked as Kreacher popped into view.

"You keep valuables in a vault," he said with a smile.

Her eyes widened as he turned to his elf.

"Kreacher, does Bellatrix have a vault?"

"Yes, Master."

Harry smiled. "Is there any way we can get into it?"

"I can get into Miss Bellatrix's vault, Master."

"Really?" Harry exclaimed.

"Yes, Master. It is the same vault she's had since she was a child. You are now head of the House of Black and as your elf, I have access to the vault," Kreacher explained.

"If I describe something to you, can you bring it back to me?" Harry asked.

"Certainly, Master."


	18. Chapter 17  Interlude

The Potters didn't have to wait long for Kreacher to return. He returned with a velvet bag, which he offered to his master.

Harry reached out and took the bag. He opened it slowly to reveal a small golden cup with two handles. A badger was engraved upon it.

"It's beautiful," Ginny breathed. "Why does he choose such beautiful items for such evil?"

"I don't think he can appreciate beauty like we do," Harry replied.

Turning to Kreacher, Harry asked, "Did you have any trouble getting the cup?"

"No, master. It was in Miss Bella's vault," Kreacher replied. He looked up at Harry. "Is that like Master Regulus's locket?"

Harry nodded. "Tom – the Dark Lord, he manipulated this cup like he did the locket." He looked appraisingly at the elf. "Would you like to destroy it?"

"How, master? I couldn't destroy the locket," Kreacher said, his ears drooping.

Harry tried to hand the Sword of Gryffindor to the elf, but he refused. "No, master. House elves are not allowed to touch weapons."

Harry nodded. He walked over to the cupboard where he'd been keeping some of his things. Reaching in carefully, he pulled out a large wrapped item. He unwrapped the item, revealing a Basilisk fang. Lifting it carefully out of the wrapping, he hefted it like a spear.

He offered it to the house elf. Kreacher examined it for a moment before he reached out and took the proffered fang. With a fierceness that surprised Harry, Kreacher stabbed the cup. An unearthly scream poured from it, along with a fountain of thick black liquid. A black mist floated away from the cup.

Kreacher dropped the fang. "Is it done, master?"

Harry nodded numbly. He turned to Ginny. "They're all destroyed. We've gotten all of his Horcruxes."

Ginny threw her arms around him. He looked down into her eyes for a moment before a smile spread across his face. He lifted her and spun her around. Setting her down, he kissed her softly at first and then more passionately.

* * *

Walking through the Ministry, Arthur wasn't sure which was worse – the people who stared and pointed at him or those who pretended sympathy. Keeping his eyes straight ahead, he headed for his office. The buzz had settled down briefly until the _Playwizard_ issue had come out. He didn't care what anyone said: he did not believe his daughter would have turned her back on everything nor would she have posed for that magazine. He'd been told that she was partially clothed in all of the pictures, but he hadn't wanted to look for himself.

He sank down at his desk, looking at all of the pictures of his family. He smiled as he picked up a picture of Bill and Ginny together. They must have been seventeen and seven in the picture. They had been swimming in the pond and were laughing at each other.

A knock on the door caused him to look up. Kingsley was standing in the doorway.

"Arthur, I have a few questions for you."

"Haven't you asked them all already?" Arthur asked testily in a slightly louder voice than normal.

Several Ministry workers turned away as Kingsley entered Arthur's tiny office closing the door and casting privacy spells. They had been able to meet regularly at the Ministry using the pretext of the investigations into both Ginny's disappearance and the Carrows' murder.

"How are you holding up?" Kingsley asked compassionately.

Arthur shook his head. "I just hate that there are people out there thinking all of that trash about my baby girl is true. Molly is beside herself. When that horrible magazine came out, she...she lost it. I refused to look, but Molly wanted to see the pictures. She was certain that she would be able to spot something that would prove it wasn't our Ginny. She was so upset when she didn't find anything."

"Minerva reports that Miss Parkinson was not at the school for at least one weekend and Mr. Malfoy missed quite a bit of school, recovering from his injuries. She also wanted me to pass along to you and Molly that neither she nor Ginny's friends at school believe any of the press. They are certain she would never turn dark or pose for those pictures," Kingsley said sympathetically.

"That is comforting," Arthur allowed. "But where is she and why hasn't she come home?"

"I don't know," Kingsley admitted. "I spoke to Draco Malfoy about his allegations. As best as I can figure, Malfoy and his junior Death Eaters were terrorizing the Muggle bookstore. Harry broke it up. It is so frustrating. The Auror that was killed, Charles, was a good man. I know Malfoy or one of his cronies killed him, but I have to investigate Harry instead. "

Kingsley shook his head as he continued. "When the other Aurors got there, the Muggles were safe. Three of the Death Eaters were tied up in the shop and two were stunned and bound near Charles's body. We figure that Malfoy and at least one other person Apparated away before we got there. Malfoy swears he was trying to apprehend Harry and his injuries were the result of his fight with Harry. But I don't think it was Harry who inflicted most of those injuries."

"You think You-Know-Who punished him?"

"Yes, it makes the most sense," Kingsley explained.

"Did you ask him about the girl?" Arthur asked anxiously.

Kingsley hesitated. "He says he doesn't know who she is, that he didn't see her until the end of the fight. We figure she must have been out with the Muggles. We did question them briefly before we Obliviated them. They spoke of men in black robes and masks burning books and torturing them. The women were quite afraid they were going to be sexually assaulted. They described the woman who helped them as young with shoulder length blond hair. They guessed she was in her early twenties. They said the couple left together, but that was all they knew."

Arthur sighed in frustration. "So if Ginny isn't with Harry, where is she?"

"I don't know," Kingsley replied. "Except for the weekend she was interviewed, no one has seen her. She seemed to be everywhere that weekend – the interview, the Dark party, and the photo shoot. She was accompanied almost everywhere by Theodore Nott. They didn't seem to be romantically involved, but they did seem very friendly. Before you ask, Nott is still at Hogwarts and Snape has not let us interview him, claiming he has not left school property. We did confirm through Minerva that Nott was also missing that weekend and that no one has ever seen Ginny and Nott together."

"Who is he?"

"He is an associate of Malfoy's. His father is an associate of Malfoy senior, a known Death Eater," Kingsley explained.

Arthur nodded sadly. "What about Harry?"

"Except for the pictures and now the Paris pictures, no one has seen him." Kingsley sighed. Over the weekend, pictures had been published in a French magazine showing Harry and an unidentified brunette enjoying what appeared to be a romantic weekend in Paris. This had led many to wonder if Harry had decided to abandon the Wizarding world.

* * *

Hermione settled back against the willow and pulled her cloak more snugly around her. While March in France was much warmer than March in Scotland, it was still a bit chilly. She felt a bit guilty for sneaking off, but she wanted to enjoy Ron's letter in private.

A lot had happened in the past three months. Hermione and Justin had gone out on a few dates before deciding that they were really better off as friends. Initially, she had felt a bit like she was cheating on Ron, but she reminded herself that he had not made any move toward pursuing a relationship with her. In the end, she decided that she didn't want to pursue a relationship at this time and she was content with waiting for now. The one thing her short lived relationship with Justin had done for her is bolster her self-esteem.

Ron's relationship with Lavender last year had broken Hermione's heart. She had thought she and Ron finally had a chance to get together and he threw all of that away for Lavender. Hermione had always been nervous that Ron was not attracted to her and his relationship with Lavender reinforced that belief. How could he think she was pretty after dating Lavender?

Hermione liked to think she was fairly honest with herself. She knew that while she was not unattractive, her looks were never the first thing to attract someone's attention. She had always been a bit envious of Ginny in that regard. There was no doubt that Ginny was beautiful and Harry had not missed many opportunities to compliment her. She wished Ron would look at her just a fraction of the way Harry had watched Ginny at Bill's wedding.

Shaking off her melancholy thoughts, Hermione opened Ron's letter.

_Dear Hermione,_

_Thanks for the birthday gift. __ This year was much better than last year. No love potions, no poisoned mead. It was just me and Charlie, which was kind of cool as I haven't spent my birthday with him since I was a kid. He took me to a Quidditch match – Transylvania versus Heidelberg. It was great!_

_As much as I love being here, in some ways it doesn't seem right that I'm going to Quidditch matches and you're going to school when there is a war on at home. __ I've been talking to Charlie a lot about everything that happened with Harry and everything going on with Ginny. I realize that my parents sent me here to get me away from the war. I feel a bit guilty, but I don't know what I could do if I was at home._

_My mum and really all of us are upset about the pictures of Ginny out there.__ I got into a few fights over that _Playwizard_. I know you are thinking I shouldn't be fighting. Believe me, I've heard it all from Charlie. I just got so angry at these guys drooling over half naked pictures of my baby sister. Mum is so angry and hurt, not because she believes it is her, but because the pictures will be out there forever. According to Kingsley, Neville and Seamus don't believe it is her. None of us believe it is her, but where is she? I thought she was safe with Harry. Did he leave her? Who is he with in those pictures?_

_I don't know what to believe.__ I also don't know if I should be angry at Harry for taking my advice and leaving Ginny alone or if I should be angry at him for leaving her. I don't know what's going on with either of them. I don't think Harry would abandon the Wizarding world, would he?_

_It feels so strange to not know what is going on with Harry.__ I wish I could talk to them both._

_I'm sure you are enjoying Beauxbatons. Don't study too hard._

_Ron_

Hermione leaned back against the tree as she considered Ron's letter. It was quite possibly the longest letter he'd ever written her.

Shame flooded through her as she reread what he wrote about his family and his sister. He just assumed she would believe it was not Ginny. Hermione closed her eyes as she thought about everything that had happened since Christmas. Would Harry have abandoned Ginny after rescuing her? Tears filled Hermione's eye as she thought about her best friend. No, he would not have abandoned a girl he'd never met until she was safe. He would certainly never abandon Ginny.

Hermione had initially rejected what Neville and Seamus had to say about Harry and Ginny because Harry had not said anything to her about keeping in contact with Ginny. Now looking back with the perspective of having had a relationship, Hermione realized that he may have wanted to keep it to himself. He certainly wouldn't have talked about it in front of Ron, not after what happened on Harry's birthday.

Could Ginny still be with Harry? She froze as she realized what had bothered her about the pictures. You could never see the girl's face. Every picture showed Harry's face, but not the girl. Was that so no one would recognize her? Changing Ginny's most recognizable feature would be essential in keeping hidden.

Tears started flowing down Hermione's face. How could she have so willingly believed that Ginny would have even flirted with Malfoy? Ginny hated anything to do with the Dark Arts. Hermione knew that better than most. She had shared a room with her every summer for the past few years. Ginny still had nightmares about her second year. Hermione realized guiltily that the articles had done their job if someone who actually knew Ginny was ready to believe they might be true.

Drying her eyes, Hermione headed back up to the castle. She needed to talk to Justin and Lauren. She knew she had some friendships to mend and she was determined to start right away.

As she headed back towards her new school, she thought about Ron. Hermione was glad he was coming to terms with everything that had happened. She knew in some ways she still had not come to terms with the fact that she had, in fact, abandoned her best friend. She shied away from thinking about it and hoped that Harry would come back so she could help him. In many ways she felt if she could help him with his quest, it would make up for leaving him alone. The way she looked at it, by finishing school, she would be in a better place to help him when he asked for it. It never really crossed her mind that perhaps Harry could complete his quest without her help.

* * *

Remus thought his face would freeze in a permanently goofy grin. He just couldn't stop smiling. It was late at night or early in the morning, depending on your point of view. The candles had burned down so they were just casting a soft warm glow over the rest of the room.

Dora shifted in her sleep and Remus smiled again. She was exhausted, her bright pink hair picking up the light from the candles. He could see the smudges under her eyes and knew she was tired, but to his mind she had never looked more beautiful.

He shifted again and caught sight of the tiny bundle in the cradle. His son – Teddy. He still couldn't believe that tiny amazing creature was his son. He was so small and so perfect. To Dora's delight, he had already changed his hair colour several times.

With the isolation that came with being a werewolf, Remus had never imagined that he would be able to father such a perfect little being. He smiled to think of James and Sirius's reactions to his son. He would have to make the visit out to Godric's Hollow to tell them the news.

He only wished he could tell Harry the news. He and Dora had talked about it and decided they wanted to make Harry the baby's godfather. Remus knew that Andromeda didn't fully agree with their decision. She wasn't certain that Harry would be a good role model for her grandson, but Remus knew that if his son even half the person Harry was, he would be amazing.

A small cry broke through his reverie. Remus jumped up and gathered Teddy into his arms.

"Hey, little man." Remus kissed him softly as he deftly changed the newborn's diaper. He hadn't changed a diaper in more that sixteen years, since Harry was a baby, but he was pleased that he still remembered how.

"Is he hungry?" Tonks's soft voice sounded in the room.

"I think so," Remus replied as he walked over to the bed and handed his wife the fussy baby. She smiled at Remus before taking the baby.

"Hello, lovey," she said as she kissed his soft downy hair. She loosened her gown and watched in amazement as the baby latched onto her breast. She had never really imagined herself as the maternal type, but the moment she found out she was pregnant, it just seemed so right. The new mum watched Remus out of the corner of her eye.

"Have you slept at all?"

Remus looked up at that and smiled. "No, I've just been watching the two of you."

Dora laughed as she lifted the baby and gently began to burp him. "Am I doing this right? I'm so afraid I'm going to hurt him."

Remus smiled. "You are perfect, my love and you are going to be an amazing mother."

He leaned over and kissed her softly on the cheek before settling onto the bed next to his wife, the two of them staring in wonder at the new life they had created.

* * *

Alicia hurried through her closing routine of re-shelving books. Her coworkers were straightening the newspapers and tidying up the place. The three of them had perfected their closing routine so they could be finished by 6:15. Alicia nodded to the others as she finished and hung her blue robe in the small employee lounge. She headed up the basement stairs and to her delight, found Oliver waiting for her. She and Oliver had reconnected over the summer and had been dating for almost eight months now.

He looked up and smiled as she made her way into the London Library proper. He set down the London Times he'd been pretending to read and stood up to greet her.

"Oliver, I didn't expect to see you here," Alicia exclaimed as she embraced him.

"Practice was canceled," he said, kissing her briefly before taking her hand and heading outside.

"What happened?"

Oliver sighed. "Mr. Winters's son and grandson were killed in an attack last night. Coach let us all go home to be with our families."

"Oh Merlin, that's terrible," Alicia breathed. Mr. Winters owned the Pride of Portree, so all of the players knew his family quite well.

"Yeah, I feel so badly for him. His daughter-in-law, Michelle, isn't expected to make it either. She was..." Oliver trailed off, not wanting to finish his sentence.

Sadly, Alicia was all too familiar with the habits of Death Eaters not to guess what had happened to the pretty, vivacious woman.

The couple walked quietly on to Alicia's family home. When they walked inside, Alicia could tell right away something was wrong. Her father was pacing up and down beside the fireplace while her mother and Aunt Anne were sitting huddled on the couch.

"Mum, Dad. What's wrong?" Alicia asked.

Brian Spinnet held a sheet of parchment out to his daughter. Alicia gasped as she read the letter. She could feel the blood draining from her face and was grateful for Oliver's presence as he wrapped his arms around her. Her mother had gotten a summons to go before the Muggle-born Registration Commission.

"Mum?" Alicia looked at her mother. "What are you going to do?"

Kathy Spinnet quickly stood and hugged her daughter. "It's okay, love. That is what we are talking about."

"I've been trying to convince your mum and aunt that they should go visit their cousins in Canada," Brian explained.

"Brian, I don't want to leave my children," Kathy flared up. "Will and Dani are still at Hogwarts. I don't want them to come home and find I'm in another country."

"You don't want them to come home and find you dead either," Alicia responded. "You know what they do, don't you? They send Muggle-borns to Azkaban."

"Those are only the lucky ones," Oliver put in. "A friend of mine went before the commission and they let the Dementors loose on him."

Kathy looked at the three determined faces. "B-but it feels like I'm running away."

"Then run away, Mum," Alicia said. "Run away so you can come home when this is over."

When her mother still didn't seem convinced, Alicia added, "Please, Mum. It will be much safer for you. That way we know Aunt Anne will be safe as well."

"Alicia, we can't afford to send the two of us halfway around the world," Kathy said, desperately trying to get her daughter to see reason.

"Actually, Kath," Anne started. She pulled a bag of money from her jacket pocket. "I brought this with me when you called."

Kathy reached out and took the bag her sister offered. To her astonishment, it was full of gold.

"Where did you get this?" Kathy demanded.

Anne shot a glance over at her niece before answering. "One of my tenants had to leave unexpectedly and they felt badly that they couldn't give me notice. They left this bag of gold for me."

"But this is Wizarding money," Kathy protested.

"Her tenants were friends of mine," Alicia broke in.

"You asked your aunt to take in magical tenants?" Kathy asked her daughter. "Alicia do you understand how dangerous that can be?"

"I know, Mum," Alicia said. "But this was really important. They needed a place to stay and I didn't think anyone would look for them in the Muggle world. H-he cast several powerful protective wards around Aunt Anne's place."

Seeing her mother weakening, Alicia added, "Please, Mum."

By the next evening, Kathy Spinnet and Anne Watson found themselves on a flight to Ontario to wait out the end of the war.


	19. Chapter 18  Remus

It was the sound of rain hitting the bricks outside of their bedroom that woke Harry. It was nearing the end of March and the young couple had moved into a small one bedroom flat in South London.

Lifting his head, he peered through the early morning darkness. Ginny was still sleeping soundly next to him. The bedside clock read 6:11. Harry groaned inwardly. He knew he probably wouldn't be getting back to sleep. A noise at the window drew his attention and he smothered a laugh at the sight of Sparkle batting at the window shade.

He kissed Ginny on the cheek and slid quietly out of bed. Picking up the kitten, he made his way out to the kitchen.

"Hey, girl. Did the rain wake you up too?"

Sparkle meowed plaintively and Harry filled up her food and water bowls. Harry loved the tiny flat they'd found. It only had four rooms: the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and living room. What had drawn Harry to the flat was the large brick paved garden outside the bedroom. There was also a large bay window at the front of the house that allowed them to sit and watch the beautiful residential section of London.

Harry quickly mixed up some muffin batter and threw them in the oven before he started looking over the notes they'd been making. Since the destruction of the last Horcrux, the young couple had been preparing for the final confrontation with Voldemort. Harry was still not entirely confident that he would survive that final confrontation, but Ginny gave him a good reason to stay alive.

Their days were spent practicing spells and planning for that final confrontation. They were working on two sets of plans, one for confronting Voldemort at Malfoy Manor and one for confronting him while he was outside the manor, perhaps taking advantage of a Death Eater attack. Dobby and Kreacher had been invaluable in helping with the plans for Malfoy Manor as well as what defenses might be in place.

By the time Ginny woke up, Harry had made his way to the living room and was sitting on the couch munching on apple-cinnamon muffins.

He looked up and smiled as she padded into the room and plopped down next to him. "Good morning."

She leaned over and kissed him before grabbing a muffin from the basket Harry had set on the table in front of him. "Good morning, love. Have you been up long?"

"Yeah." Harry made a face. "The rain woke me up early."

Ginny scooted over and sat on Harry's lap. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, running his hands through her hair.

Ginny nodded. "Yeah, I didn't mean to freak you out. I told you my cramps could get pretty bad at times."

Harry kissed her softly as he continued to hold her close. Before Ginny, he'd never really been around a girl during her period. He assumed that Hermione went through something similar, but she never mentioned it. He and Ron just knew that at certain times she would be a bit short tempered.

The first time Ginny had gotten her period after she and Harry had gotten together, she discovered how little he actually knew about girls. She'd had to explain about the bleeding and moodiness and cramps. He'd even learned to shop for tampons without too much fuss.

She turned to look at him. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I know you were trying to help, but I…sometimes I just need to be by myself at times."

Harry nodded. "I'm sorry. I…I just wanted you to feel better. I didn't mean to make it worse."

Ginny snuggled into his arms. "You didn't, love."

The young couple enjoyed their breakfast quietly. When they'd finished eating, Harry turned to Ginny. "Are you still sure you are up for this?"

Ginny nodded. "Of course, love. I'm going to take a shower and then we can go."

* * *

Andromeda Tonks smiled tiredly at Molly Weasley as she ushered her into the kitchen.

"How are you holding up?" Andromeda asked as Molly sat down. With a practiced wave of her wand, Andromeda summoned some tea and biscuits from the counter.

Molly sighed. "I don't know. I just really wish I knew where my daughter was and what and how she is doing. I don't like to think that any of those articles are true, but I just don't know."

Andromeda nodded sympathetically. She and Molly had become close friends over the past year and she had listened to Molly's fears many times over the past few months.

"It is such a comfort that Minerva and Ginny's friends at school believe in her, but I still have a hard time getting past that article and those pictures," Molly explained.

"Still no word?"

"No, we haven't had any word from her since December. She said that she was safe, but that was when she was with Harry." Molly frowned as she thought of the boy she had thought of as almost one of her own. "I don't know how he could just leave her. I thought that he cared for her, but he just left her. If she did pose for those pictures, I blame him. If he hadn't left her, she would never have done it."

"Remus still won't listen to reason about him." Andromeda sighed. "He insisted upon naming the boy Teddy's godfather."

"How is Teddy?" Molly asked, changing the subject.

Andromeda smiled. "He is wonderful. He is such a good baby. It is such a joy to have a baby in the house again. I always wanted more children after Nymphadora, but it just wasn't meant to be."

Smiling, Molly pulled a baby blanket out of her bag. "I brought this for little Teddy."

Reaching out, Andromeda admired the blue and green knitted blanket. "Molly, it's beautiful. I'm sure Nymphadora and Remus will be thrilled."

Before Molly could reply, Tonks entered with her baby. "Morning, Molly. Mum."

"Good morning, dear." Molly smiled as the younger witch joined them at the table. "I just came by for a visit."

The three witches talked while passing the baby around. After a while, Molly asked, "Where is Remus?"

Tonks looked up. "Today is James's birthday. Remus went to visit him."

* * *

Remus smiled as he walked through the gate into the graveyard. He hadn't been able to visit on Lily's birthday, so he was glad he could make it for James's birthday. When they'd heard Molly arrive, Remus had taken the opportunity to leave. He and Molly disagreed on many things these days, Harry most of all. The way Molly saw it, Harry had ruined her daughter's life. Remus was sure there was another explanation. He couldn't explain it, but he couldn't imagine Harry abandoning Ginny.

The werewolf walked over to his friends' grave and gasped. He knelt down on the cold ground and ran his hand over the small grey stone. He knew right away that Harry must have arranged for the stone.

"Sirius, my friend, I'm glad to see you back with James and Lily. I've missed you, Padfoot."

Glancing around, Remus conjured up a small wreath to set on each of the graves before he settled back on the bench next to the Potters' grave.

"I wanted to let all of you know, I'm a dad. Can you believe that? His name is Teddy – Teddy Remus Lupin. He was born on March 10, so he is just over two weeks old."

Remus spent time telling them about the birth and the latest news from the Wizarding world. As he finished telling them about his run-ins with Molly, he heard the gate open. He made sure his wand was readily available. While he had run into the priest several times and had occasionally seen other people visiting graves, he couldn't forget that this was a Wizarding village and two of his best friends had lost their lives here.

"Remus?"

He shot to his feet and turned to face the speaker. He relaxed slightly when he saw the priest standing not far from him.

"Good morning, sir," Remus cautiously greeted the older man.

Father Stephen smiled. "I was wondering if I might see you this morning."

Gesturing behind him towards the graves, Remus asked, "Did Harry arrange for Sirius's stone?"

"Yes, he was here on his mother's birthday and asked about the stone for his godfather," Father Stephen explained. He eyed the worn looking man he had come to appreciate for his devotion to his friends. "You actually just missed him. He and his wife were here for his father's birthday."

"What?" Remus looked startled. "Harry was here? When? Did he say where he was staying?"

"Why don't you come into my office?" Father Stephen offered. "We can talk there."

Remus eagerly followed the older man and soon they were settled in the church's office. Father Stephen offered Remus a cup of tea and pushed a basket of muffins towards him. "Harry brought these by for me this morning. They are quite good."

Helping himself to a muffin, Remus said, "What did you mean he and his wife?"

Father Stephen smiled. "I thought maybe they had eloped. His wife's name is Ginny. She is a pretty girl. She always seems to have a different colour hair every time I see her though. He said they married in January in York." He fell silent as he watched the other man absorb this information. "They seem very young, but very much in love."

Remus smiled. "I knew last Christmas he was very taken with her. He reminded me so much of his father."

"Did he say anything this morning?" Remus asked.

Reaching into his desk drawer, Father Stephen pulled out a sealed envelope that he handed to Remus. "He left this for you. I think he misses you very much. He…he is a very sweet boy. He was quite concerned that he had insulted you the last time you'd spoken and he was afraid you would be angry with him."

With a trembling hand, Remus took the proffered envelope. "He shouldn't be worried. He actually did me a favour and knocked some sense into me. I…I was in a bad place and he did just what his father would have done, yelled at me and told me what a mistake I was making."

Father Stephen stood. "I am going to check the chapel. Please take your time and read your letter. I will be around if you want to talk."

Once Father Stephen had closed the door, Remus eagerly tore open the envelope. There was what appeared to be a several page note as well as a single sheet of paper. Picking up the single sheet of paper, Remus read – _'You know the words.'_

He picked up the larger folded note and realized it was blank. He stared at it for a moment, before a smile crossed his face. Pulling his wand, he tapped the note and said, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."

He smiled as the pages filled with writing.

_March 27, 1998_

_Remus,_

_Let me start by saying I am so sorry for what I said.__ I know you are not a coward. I was just angry and all I could see was my Dad dying for me and my Mum and Sirius falling through the veil. Dads shouldn't leave their children unless they don't have a choice. I hope you are back with Tonks. Ginny tells me she should have had the baby by now._

_Ginny and I are safe for now.__ We are moving around a lot and changing our appearances – well actually Ginny is changing more than me, but we figured her hair is more memorable than mine so we are trying to cover it up. _

_I'm assuming you talked to Alicia and probably Ron and Hermione as well so you know what happened this fall.__ I was very upset for a while, but I have come to realize that it is for the best. I have been continuing on my mission left for me by Professor Dumbledore and with Ginny's help, it is almost complete. I hope to face Tom soon and finally end thisI hope that everyone realizes that Ginny did not do anything that has been reported in the papers and she certainly did not pose for those pictures. We assume it was Pansy using Polyjuice Potion, who was interviewed and photographed. Ginny has done absolutely nothing wrong. Malfoy and Zabini tried to kidnap her and turn her over to Voldemort. We don't know why – to use as leverage to get me or for other reasons of his own. I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and was able to rescue her – I killed the Carrows by myself. She did not kill anyone. She has been very upset because she can't defend herself against all of the lies and she does not know how her family is taking all of the coverage._

_We are really hoping that we can end this soon. __ We may be calling upon the rest of the Order to help, We really aren't sure what will happen._

_I look forward to seeing you and Tonks and your baby._

_Harry_

Remus read through the letter twice. He really wasn't sure what to think. On the one hand, he was glad that Harry was safe and seemed happy. On the other hand, he wished Harry had let him know where he was staying. He was still contemplating the letter when Father Stephen came back.

"Did you get some of the answers you were looking for?" Father Stephen asked.

Remus shrugged. "I got some answers, but he didn't tell me where he was staying."

"I gather that they have been moving around frequently," Father Stephen replied. "I believe that from time to time they have been staying at his family home here. Sometimes he visits almost daily; other times it can be a few weeks between visits. I don't know where he is staying right now."

"You seem to have gotten to know him fairly well," Remus said, faintly jealous of the older man's apparently easy relationship with Harry. Remus had never been entirely happy with his own relationship to Harry. He knew that his fear of getting close to others had gotten in the way of the relationship. The werewolf had let his fears convince him that Harry was safe and happy with his relatives when he was a child. Even once he had gotten to know Harry, he was hesitant to deepen the relationship. When Sirius had returned, it was easier to step back and let Sirius have the larger relationship with Harry. After Sirius's death, Remus hadn't felt right trying to step into Sirius's shoes. The past year, he realized that he did want a closer relationship with Harry and he just hoped he hadn't ruined his chances.

Father Stephen smiled. He could sense the unspoken jealousy in Remus's statement. "Harry is an easy young man to love. He has a quality about him that makes me want to care for him. I don't know if it is because he is an orphan or if it is just him, but he just has a quality about him."

After thanking the priest for his time, Remus decided to take a walk by his friends' old home before heading back home. He felt a familiar feeling of sorrow welling up in him, but it was tempered with the knowledge that Harry at least was safe for the moment.


	20. Chapter 19  Discoveries

"Do you think it is possible?" Bill asked.

Remus sighed. It had been almost a week since his visit with Father Stephen. He had read and reread the note from Harry numerous times. Finally, he had contacted Bill to share what he had discovered. "I don't know. At first I thought it might just be a ruse to explain them being together."

"But you don't think so now?" Bill asked.

"Father Stephen described Ginny as wearing a diamond and emerald ring. I can't see anyone buying that as a ruse." Remus peered out Shell Cottage's kitchen window into the gloomy rain soaked afternoon. "I just don't see how it is possible for a sixteen year old to get married without parental permission."

Bill nodded as he absently stirred his tea. "I…I don't know what to think. I'm glad that Ginny has been with Harry and that he hasn't abandoned her as my mother feared. That just never seemed right to me. Harry wouldn't do that to anyone, but especially my sister. Fleur is positive that Harry is in love with Ginny and would never do anything to hurt her."

"Fleur said that?" Remus asked in surprise.

"I was a bit surprised as well, but Fleur and Harry get along really well. He doesn't seem to be affected by her at all, just treats her like a good friend." Bill smiled. "Do you know about the Horntail?"

"Dragon? Like in the Tri-Wizard Tournament?" Remus asked.

"Yeah." Bill nodded. "Fleur and Viktor Krum both got dragon tattoos to honour Cedric Diggory after he was killed. Fleur has a tattoo of a Welsh Green and Viktor has a tattoo of a Chinese Fireball. Those were the dragons they had to get past in the first task. They wanted to bring Harry with them when they got them, but he was only fourteen and…well with everything that happened, they didn't think he would be allowed to go with them. Fleur took him this summer to get his Hungarian Horntail tattoo."

Remus started laughing. "I bet he liked that."

"He did," Bill confirmed. "He and Fleur talked quite a bit over the summer. When Ron and Hermione showed up, Fleur became quite angry at them. At first, they made it sound like Harry had gotten jealous of Ron and Hermione." He chuckled softly at the memory. "Fleur was very upset that they would say that. She knew that Harry was in love with Ginny. He talked about her to Fleur a lot. Fleur hadn't told me that at the time. I mean I knew they were talking, but I didn't know about Ginny until Christmas. Harry was torn up about breaking up with her and Fleur didn't know how my brothers and I would react to that knowledge."

"I can understand that," Remus said. "It can be scary to face the family of the woman you love…especially if you've hurt her. Andromeda has only now started being friendly toward me. Your family has done so much for Harry. I'm sure he wouldn't want to jeopardize that relationship." Looking over at the younger wizard, he said, "I wondered last Christmas if Harry liked her. He kept watching her and at times I was reminded of his father mooning over Lily."

"Ginny's friends at school are quite convinced that she and Harry were still involved, even if Ron and Hermione are not," Bill replied.

Remus snorted. "I don't think that Ron and Hermione are very objective about Harry right now."

After a short pause, Remus laughed. "You know, Sirius was positive that Harry would end up with Ginny. I was rather surprised as at that time I didn't see anything between them. The only thing I saw was the rough resemblance to Lily and James. I mean Ginny doesn't look that much like Lily, but the red hair and of course Harry looks a lot like James. Sirius laughed at me. He hadn't meant that at all. He just thought they would be good for each other. I never really saw it, but he said that Harry used to watch her and Ginny would sneak looks at him as well."

Bill smiled. "I never noticed that. All I knew about was the crush Ginny had on him when she was younger."

"Sirius was a lot more perceptive than most of us gave him credit for," Remus said sadly. "And he loved that boy like he was his own. I have to say I was always a bit jealous of their relationship. Harry was always a bit reserved with me, but he loved Sirius. That summer and Christmas we spent at Grimmauld Place, I would see them laughing and talking together. I know your mum was worried that Sirius was confusing Harry with James, but that wasn't it. He just loved that boy and would have done anything for him. I am positive that he died in peace because he died to protect Harry."

Remus swallowed the lump in his throat that had developed as he talked about his friend. Bill eyed him compassionately. "It must have been a shock to see that stone for him at Godric's Hollow."

"Shock?" Remus smiled. "I'm not sure if that is a strong enough word for what I was feeling. I'd thought about doing something for Sirius, but I didn't know what would be best. Harry knew though. The stone is a perfect memorial for Sirius." He smiled at the thought. "Sirius would be thrilled for Harry, if he is indeed married."

"I can check at Gringotts and see if she's been added to his vaults," Bill said. "I don't know that we can verify it another way."

"That would be great if you can check on that," Remus replied. "I don't want to ask someone to check with the Ministry and alert them to the fact that he might be married. I have no idea how to check Muggle records."

"I'll let you know what I find out," Bill said.

* * *

Seamus looked up from his lunch when Demelza joined them at the Gryffindor table. He smiled and wished not for the first time that this was a normal year and he could ask her to go to Hogsmeade with him. Demelza was a fifth year, so he hadn't really gotten to know her until she and Ginny started becoming friends. He had spent a bit of time with Demelza last year when Ginny and Dean were still dating, but this year something had just clicked between the two of them.

Offering a smile, Demelza picked at her plate of fruit and sandwiches. Seamus poured her a glass of pumpkin juice, which she accepted with a smile. He knew she'd just come from Defence class. While Nott was not as cruel as the Carrows, he was still a Death Eater and still tended to use the Cruciatus as a method of discipline.

"Nott giving you problems?" Seamus asked after Demelza had eaten some of her sandwich.

She made a face. "Not him. Harper is the 'helper' for our class. He's rather an idiot so he's not too bad. He's not very good at the Cruciatus, although he thinks he's great. Unfortunately, he's taken a fancy to my friend Rachael. He tried to corner her in class today, but luckily we got away fairly quickly."

Lifting her glass, she started to take a drink, but quickly slammed her juice down. "Damn!"

"What's wrong?"

"I left my book sitting on my desk," Demelza replied. "I meant to throw it in my bag, but when Harper started in, I just left it there."

"I'll go get it for you," Seamus said as he stood. "Where do you sit?"

"Seamus, no. It's okay. I'll go."

He reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. "Demelza, it's okay. You eat. I'll be back in just a few."

With a nod at Neville, he headed off toward the main stairs. As he neared the classroom, he heard the sounds of a heated argument from the partially opened door. Pausing, Seamus frantically tried to decide what to do. After a brief moment of indecision, the Gryffindor seventh-year cast a Silencing and Disillusionment Charm on himself and crept closer to the door.

Peering into the partially opened door, he saw Professor Nott talking to his son, Theodore, as well as Draco, Blaise, and Pansy.

Seamus flattened himself against the wall. It took him a moment to place who was talking. He was so used to hear Draco's confident and often condescending drawl that he did not recognize the scared sounding voice as Draco's immediately.

"Sir, do you know what the plans are for Easter Break?"

Professor Nott eyed the young boy scornfully. He didn't like the Malfoys and he didn't like the fact that they had the honour of having the Dark Lord in their house, even after all of their mistakes. He was certain that if his son had been accorded the chances that Draco had, he would not have screwed up so badly. "All I know is Theodore, Blaise and Pansy will be taking their Marks. The Dark Lord has decided the ceremony will take place at Malfoy Manor on Monday."

Seamus flattened himself against the wall as the Slytherins left the classroom, his mind racing. He waited a good five minutes before reversing the Silencing and Disillusionment Charm and knocking on the door to the classroom.

Professor Nott looked up from his desk. "What do you want, Finnegan?"

"Demelza left her book on her desk. I came to get it."

Nott looked around the room and spotting the book, sent it flying toward Seamus. The young wizard grabbed it and hurried back up to the Great Hall.

* * *

Ginny slid into the booth opposite Harry at the small pub where they had stopped for lunch. They were just off the beautiful green in the town of Marlborough, the town closest to Malfoy Manor. Thanks to the information shared with them by both Dobby and Kreacher, the couple had a fairly extensive knowledge about Malfoy Manor and the surrounding area. They had spent the morning walking the perimeter of the estate.

It was a relatively warm spring day, sunny without a cloud in the sky. Ginny smiled at her husband as she reached across the table to squeeze his hand. It was so easy on a beautiful day like this to just be a happy newlywed on a day trip with her gorgeous husband. She thought it was funny to see Harry so oblivious to local girls eyeing him up. He never seemed to notice the girls flirting with him. She was glad that their waitress today was a slightly older woman, at least old enough to be his mother.

"There was a lot of activity there this morning," Harry said quietly after placing their order and setting Privacy Charms. "I think something big is happening."

Ginny nodded. "I didn't recognize anyone, did you?"

He shook his head. "No, I would guess that it is just low-level Death Eaters on guard duty. I can't imagine Bellatrix standing guard."

Ginny laughed at the image. "I can't either."

"Guess what?" Ginny said after a minute. "I think it's almost Easter. I saw signs for candy and Easter services."

"Really?" Harry asked in surprise. "It is so easy to lose track of time."

He smiled over at Ginny. "It was Easter two years ago that I first realized that I might fancy you."

"You never told me that," Ginny said in surprise. "I thought you said it was when you saw me and Dean."

"Well, I knew for sure then, when I wanted to rip Dean's head off. But I think it really started at Easter when you brought me those Easter eggs. I was so…"

"Grumpy?" Ginny offered. "Prat-like?"

"Grumpy," Harry said with a smile. "You just…you just really knew how to help me. That should have been my big clue. Ron and Hermione were tiptoeing around, probably talking behind my back, but you came right to me and confronted me and found a way to help me."

The waitress brought over their food and Harry smiled his thanks before turning back to Ginny. "I never told you why I wanted to talk to Sirius, did I?"

Ginny stilled, her sandwich in her hand. "No."

Harry took a bit of his pie before he explained. "I had seen a memory of Snape's. I-I thought he was hiding something and I j-just dove in when I had the chance." He explained what he had seen in the Pensieve as they slowly ate. "I was so upset. My mum was so upset with my dad that I just couldn't imagine them falling in love. Sirius and Remus tried to tell me that he was just young and immature, but I couldn't imagine that. I'm so glad that I've been able to stay in their house and see pictures of them happy and in love."

Ginny laid her hand on his arm. "They were very happy. That much is very obvious from the pictures in their house. They were very much in love and they loved you very much."

He smiled at her. "They were. I hope they were as happy as us." He laughed. "Anyhow, what I was going to say is I really like Easter. We should do something fun for the day."

"Do you want to go to Godric's Hollow or do you want to stay in London?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know. I kind of like the idea of staying in our own place," Harry replied. Taking another bite of his steak and kidney pie, he commented, "This is really good. I need to learn to make it."

"I see you didn't even think about me learning to make it." Ginny laughed.

Smothering a laugh, Harry replied, "Didn't you tell me when I first mentioned marrying you that you couldn't cook? I'm just taking you at your word."

Laughing, Ginny leaned over to kiss him. "This is why I love you so much."

Settling back against the booth, Ginny asked, "So do you think they are planning? Do you think it has something to do with Easter Break?"

"Maybe," Harry said, gazing out the window. "I wish I knew if it would be taking place here or somewhere else."

Before Ginny could respond, the door to the pub opened.

"Peacocks! Can you believe we found another bloody peacock?"

The couple turned toward the voice. The speaker was a young man in his late twenties, who was approaching a table with three other young men. His mates started laughing as he approached.

A waitress distracted the couple when she came to check on them. After settling their bill, Ginny asked the waitress about the peacocks.

"Some crazy, rich blighter out past town keeps peacocks as pets. Peacocks! What kind of pets are peacocks, I ask you? Foolishness."

Ginny giggled at the thought of Malfoy's peacocks escaping. The waitress looked closely at Ginny. "You aren't from around here, are you?"

"No, ma'am. We are just visiting for a few days. This is such a beautiful part of the country."

The waitress looked over her shoulder before turning back to the young couple in front of her. "It is beautiful, but please be careful out past town. Pretty girls like you have a tendency to disappear, especially around this time of year."

Harry fell silent as they left the pub. Ginny looked over at him questioningly. "The peacock escaped," he said.

He laughed at the look of confusion on her face. "We've seen the wards they have up around the manor. If the peacocks are getting out, they must be getting around the wards, right? I want to go take another look. There may be a way in or out that Malfoy doesn't know about."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, the couple found themselves in the heavily wooded area facing the back of Malfoy's property. This was the most likely escape route for the peacocks to have gotten out without anyone realizing. This also appeared to be the area that was not as heavily guarded as the rest.

Standing well within the tree line, Ginny looked out toward Malfoy's property. A wooden fence marked the edge, while wards protected the property from magical attack. From their vantage point in the woods, they could see a large pond, two smaller outbuildings that Ginny took to be some sort of workshops and the large main house. The peacocks were grouped around one side of the pond. She had to admit, it was a beautiful home, but there was an almost palpable sense of evil that came from the house.

Glancing over at her husband, she asked, "Do you think he is here?"

"Tom?" Harry asked. Ginny nodded her head. "I don't think so. For one thing, my scar doesn't hurt any more than normal. The last couple flashes I've gotten from him, he's still been overseas."

"Maybe that's what all of the activity is," Ginny said. "They are expecting him back."

Harry nodded. "That makes sense. I've been thinking about what that waitress said, you know about girls going missing." Ginny nodded and Harry continued, "I wonder if they are planning some type of …I don't know ritual or ceremony and that's why they take local girls. I don't know of any rituals or haven't seen any, but I imagine there must be, right?"

He watched as his wife considered the question. "I don't know. I've heard rumours of what the Death Eaters will do to young girls. Zabini and Malfoy used to…taunt the girls with stories of … assault and what they termed 'fun things' that happened to girls after some of their meetings. Demelza and I thought that maybe they used the girls to reward some of the Death Eaters."

Harry felt his face harden as he thought of the implications of what Ginny had said. "So if they are planning something, they might be taking local girls."

Ginny watched silently as Harry cast several spells at the fence bordering the property, testing the strength of the wards. As she watched him, she suddenly realized that he was using a different wand. "Harry, what wand is that?"

He grinned at her. "This is Malfoy's wand. I've been using it from time to time. According to the books that I got at Dumbledore's house, the fact that it responds to me means it has chosen me. It doesn't really work that great, but I thought this would be a good place to use it."

He pointed to an area under the fence. "It looks like a break in both the wards and the fence. You can see where the ground is dug away. That must be where the peacocks are getting out."

Looking over at her, he said, "Do you want to see what Malfoy's hiding?"

The couple stood and Ginny reached out a hand to stop him. "Wait a minute."

He turned a quizzical eye to her. She smiled and with a sweep of her wand transfigured their clothing into the black hooded robes they had seen on the guards. He grinned in appreciation.

"Good one, Gin."

They made it under the fence and started walking toward the house. As they walked up past the pond, they stopped, alarmed by the sight in front of them. At one end of the pond, some sunning themselves on rocks, while others played in the water were dozens of snakes. A sibilant hissing noise filled the air. As Harry stared at the snakes, he remembered a young Tom Riddle telling Professor Dumbledore that snakes sought him out, but as he looked at the number of snakes in front of them, he knew that would not explain what he was seeing. The Parselmouth could see some common grass snakes, but he saw many snakes he knew could not be native to England. There were some cobras, large pythons, and several more species of brightly coloured snakes he could not identify.

He gripped Ginny's hand tightly. He didn't know for certain, but he thought several of them might be poisonous. Several of the serpents moved to them and Harry raised his wand nervously.

"_Hello_," he hissed nervously.

The effect on the snakes was electric. One of the smaller brightly coloured black and red snakes reared back. "_A s-s-speaker_."

"_Yess_," Harry replied nervously.

A large yellow python moved closer to them.

"_You are different from the other s-s-speaker._"

Harry glanced up at the house before looking at the python.

"_The other sspeaker? Up in the house?_"

"_Yesss. The other s-s-speaker is different from you._"

Harry hadn't even noticed the black adder edging closer to them until he spoke up.

"_You are more pure_."

"_Pure?_" Harry asked sceptically.

"_Yesss s-s-speaker, you are pure of heart. The older s-s-speaker is not_," the adder explained.

A squeak caused him to look over at Ginny. She was staring in horror at the snakes slithering around their feet. Harry reached out and squeezed her hand.

"_Iss ssshe your mate?_" the adder asked.

"_Yesss_," Harry nodded proudly. "_But ssshe can't ssspeak like me_." He glanced up at the house again. "_Isss the other s-s-speaker here?_"

"_No, s-s-speaker_," the python answered.

"_My mate and I would like to go up to the house_," Harry said, gesturing toward the mansion.

A round of hissing greeted this statement. Harry pulled Ginny closer, hoping the snakes would not attack. The black adder reared back. "_You and your mate may proceed, young s-s-speaker_."

"_Thanksss_," Harry replied.

Silently, he and Ginny made their way through the snakes. Harry nodded and greeted those that strayed close to them.

* * *

Harry gestured toward the door. Ginny nodded silently before the couple opened the ornate wooden door and slipped down the stairs. At the end of the stairs, a short corridor led to a large steel reinforced door. They had encountered a few Death Eaters, but with their black robes, no one questioned them.

Looking over at his wife, Harry whispered, "If we run into a Basilisk, you're taking care of it this time."

Ginny giggled in spite of herself and Harry felt her relaxing slightly next to him. The corridor they entered was markedly different from the rest of the house. The rich décor of the upstairs gave way to grey, cold stone.

Noise coming from further up the corridor attracted their attention. Gripping his wand, Harry cautiously led the way down the hall. The hallway opened into a large room surrounded on three sides by cells with bars on them. There were two Death Eaters standing with their backs to the hallway, taunting the occupants of the cells. Harry did not recognize either of the Death Eaters, but he thought they were relatively young – perhaps only a few years older than him.

With a nod at Ginny, the couple opened fire on the unsuspecting Death Eaters who dropped quickly. Hurrying up to the cells, Harry quickly unlocked the doors. Only two of the cells were occupied. Mr. Ollivander was alone in one cell. He was emaciated and weak, but he was able to walk. In the other cell were two young girls that Harry judged them to be his age or younger. Ginny hurried into their cell to help them. Both girls were scared, but as they haltingly told Ginny, they had not been assaulted.

"Kreacher!"

"Yes, master?" Kreacher popped into the cell with Harry and Mr. Ollivander.

"Can you take Mr. Ollivander someplace safe?" Harry asked in concern.

"Where should I take him, master?"

Ginny looked out of the cell where she was with the young girls. "Can you take him to my brother's house? Shell Cottage is outside of Tinworth in Cornwall."

"Yes, mistress." Kreacher grabbed the older wizard's hand and whisked him away to safety.

Ginny brought the girls out into the corridor as Harry exited Ollivander's former cell. He smiled at the girls in what he hoped was a non-threatening manner. They watched him timidly while they crowded around Ginny.

"This is my husband, Harry," Ginny told the girls. Once they had relaxed slightly, Ginny asked, "How are we getting out of here?"

Before Harry could respond, a noise sounded behind them. Harry turned to see the Death Eater they had stunned recovering. Trusting Ginny to look after the girls, Harry fired a barrage of spells toward the Death Eaters.

He jumped back as a cutting curse sliced across his arm. Swearing at the pain, Harry sent a blasting curse at the closest Death Eater sending him flying into the wall. There, he crumpled with a crunching sound before sliding down the wall and not getting up again.

Harry dodged the sickly green of the Killing Curse and sent a cutting curse toward his opponent. He heard a yell from one side and saw a blasting curse speed toward his opponent, blasting the wall behind him. Harry followed up with another blasting curse. He jumped back as the Death Eater's arm shattered, spraying the area with blood and tissue. The young wizard watched in horrified fascination as the Death Eater took his last breath.

"Harry?" Turning, he saw Ginny coming toward him. "Are you okay?" He nodded as he wrapped his arms around her. She held him tightly for a minute before she whispered, "You did what you had to do, love."

"I know," Harry whispered. "I just…I wasn't trying to kill them."

Ginny kissed him softly. "We have to go."

Quickly they transfigured robes for the two girls and they hurried out of the dungeon. To Harry's relief, they made it off the property easily, leaving by way of the broken fence. Neither Harry nor Ginny felt comfortable with memory charms, so Harry cast a powerful Confundus charm on the girls before leaving them at the police station.

* * *

Harry headed out to the bedroom, toweling his hair dry. He and Ginny had returned to London after spending a few days in Marlborough. After tossing the towel into the dirty clothes basket, Harry pulled on a pair of jeans. He could smell the stew that was cooking on the stove.

As he headed into the kitchen, his scar that had been burning all day suddenly seared in pain. He tried to suppress a moan as he pressed his hand over the area. Another intense wave of pain seared across his head and suddenly he was standing in a well-appointed sitting room.

Bellatrix Lestrange was on her knees in front of him, bowing down.

"Rise, Bella," he said as he extended his long white fingers.

"Thank you, my Lord," Bella said as she stood.

"What are these creatures doing here?" he asked, gesturing to the Goblins that had accompanied her back from Gringotts.

"Sir," one of the Goblins said angrily.

"_Crucio!"_

The Goblin screamed as the curse hit him. He watched the Goblin writhe under the curse for a moment before lifting it. He turned back to Bellatrix. "What is going on?"

"I went to my vault to retrieve the brand to be used in the ceremony," Bellatrix explained nervously as she held out the jeweled brand that had been used to brand all of the Death Eaters. He could have marked them without the tool, but it pleased him to mark all of these Purebloods with his brand. Like a common cattle brand, it burned the Mark into their skin. However, his brand also infused his magic into the Mark.

He reached out and took the brand from her. "Yes."

"My Lord, someone has been in my vault," Bella said nervously as she edged toward the door. Lucius and Narcissa were already near the door. "I spoke to these creatures and they claim they have no knowledge about the break in."

"What was taken?" He already knew, but he wanted to hear it out loud.

"A golden cup," one of the Goblins said.

He dimly noticed Bellatrix and Lucius fleeing the room as he turned on the Goblins.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

Harry was suddenly aware of the carpet under him. He had somehow ended up on his hands and knees, retching. Ginny was kneeling on the floor next to him, running her hands through his hair.

"Ssh. It's okay, love."

"He knows," Harry whispered.

Ginny summoned a cup of water from the kitchen and helped him sit up and take a sip. Harry leaned back against her as he told her what he'd seen. He groaned as the pain in his head flared again.

"He just killed them. All those Goblins did was tell him the truth."

"What is he going to do?" Ginny asked after she helped him to his feet.

Harry grabbed onto her shoulders to stabilize himself. "He's going to check on his other Horcruxes. We need to go to Hogwarts."


	21. Chapter 20  The Gathering Storm

**AN**: So Sorry for the very long delay, both my beta and I got caught up in RL. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Minerva McGonagall was grading papers in her office when a pop of an elf arriving sounded behind her. She pulled her wand, even as she turned toward the source of the noise. Her wand faltered slightly at the sight in front of her.

"Harry? Ginny? What are you doing here?"

Harry raised his hands to show he was unarmed. "It's us, Professor. You gave me my first broom after I made the Quidditch team, my first year. Kreacher brought you a note from me during the Christmas holidays."

"We had tea every Sunday evening during my second and third year," Ginny added. "I don't think I ever told you how much that meant to me."

Professor McGonagall gave them a rare smile. "It meant a lot to me, as well."

Standing, she embraced them each. Ginny readily returned her hug, while Harry stiffened for a moment before returning her embrace.

"What are you two doing here? Have you finished what you needed to do?"

"Yes, we did," Harry said. "But he knows…Voldemort is headed here."

She paled slightly, but nodded. With a wave of her wand, she sent three of her Patronuses running out of the room. "I'm sending messages to Professors Flitwick, Slughorn, and Sprout. The castle has defences that we can activate."

She sighed. "We need to gather the students. If the older ones want to fight, I won't stop them, but we need to get the younger students to safety."

Harry nodded. Turning to Kreacher who had brought them to the castle, he said, "Why don't you go down to the kitchen with the other elves and see what you can do to help?"

"Of course, Master Harry."

"Thank you, Kreacher."

After Kreacher left, Harry gestured toward the door, but Ginny stopped. "Wait, if we are going to be fighting, I don't want them to claim they didn't know it was me again."

With a wave of her wand, she said,_ "Finite Tinctus!" _Harry smiled when he saw her hair was its natural beautiful red once again. She noticed his look and said, "I asked Alicia how to reverse the dye."

Professor McGonagall smiled. "Mr. Malfoy will not be able to pretend not to recognize you now."

Slipping his Invisibility Cloak over himself and Ginny, Harry followed his former Head-of-House down the hall.

As they approached the portrait hole, Harry heard an all too familiar voice behind them. "Minerva."

She stopped and turned to face the Headmaster. "Severus."

"What are you doing out in the halls?"

"Checking on my students," Minerva said icily. "I believe that is still part of my responsibility."

"It is dangerous to be out at this time of night," Snape replied.

"Dangerous? Why would it be dangerous to walk around the school?" Minerva returned.

He ignored the question to ask one of his own. "Have you seen Potter?"

"Potter? No, why would I have seen Harry? Your friends in the Ministry have made him an outlaw. I can't imagine him coming into the school," Minerva replied.

Snape sneered at her. "He obviously made it into the school over Christmas in order to murder the Carrows."

Minerva didn't respond and Snape pressed her. "I must speak to Potter. It is imperative."

She flicked her wand in his direction, too quickly for Harry to see what spell she'd fired. Snape quickly returned fire and Harry backed up against the wall so that neither he nor Ginny were in the line of fire.

The two combatants were fairly evenly matched and Harry watched in amazement as his favourite teacher demonstrated just how good she was at fighting. When he heard Ginny gasp, he looked down at her. She pointed to a spot past Professor McGonagall where they could clearly see Edward Nott with his wand raised.

"_Diffindo!"_ Harry sent a Cutting Curse hurtling towards Nott.

Nott was able to block that spell and Harry and Ginny moved further down the hall to engage him.

"Potter!" Snape yelled.

Hate and anger flared up in Harry and he shot a Blasting Curse towards his hated former Potions Master. It missed, but Harry noted with satisfaction that his follow up Cutting Curse sliced Snape across the chest. He heard a muffled curse and out of the corner of his eye saw Ginny duck an ominous blue curse.

Nott took advantage of this and ran past the three Gryffindors to join the Headmaster. Snape grabbed his cloak. "Come on, we have to go!"

Harry cursed as the two Death Eaters escaped. The sound of running caused him to swing around with his wand raised. To his relief, it was Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout.

Harry felt another wave of pain as the Great Hall disappeared from view. He dimly viewed the old Gaunt shack and felt Voldemort's anger spike before the Great Hall swam back into view.

"Are you okay?" Ginny whispered as she slid her arm around his waist.

He rested his head on her shoulder momentarily. "He's angry. He's checking on all of his Horcruxes before coming here."

Ginny tightened her hold on him, brushing a kiss across his cheek. He lifted his head to smile reassuringly at her. "I'm okay."

He pulled her into an embrace, realizing he may not have another chance to hold her until this was over. The thought crossed his mind that he might not have another chance to hold her at all, but he quickly pushed that thought away. Six months ago, he might have said he didn't expect to survive the final confrontation with Voldemort, but now he had something to live for and he was determined to survive.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear.

Ginny glanced around the anteroom behind the Great Hall where the couple was waiting until after Professor McGonagall addressed the students. She could hear the murmuring of the student body as they passed rumours back and forth about why they were here. The couple was once again hidden under his Invisibility Cloak while the students gathered in the hall.

Wrapping her arms around him, she whispered, "I love you, too. Please remember that and try not to do anything foolish like get yourself killed."

He tried to smile, but couldn't quite manage it. "I'll try not to. I wish…I hope we both make it through this night. I love you so much. I can't really imagine a life…without you in it. Part of me wants to lock you away with the younger students, but I know that's not fair of me. I just wish I could keep you safe."

"You can, love," Ginny replied. "Finish this tonight and we will be free to live our life. We can finally see our families again. We can travel and go to Quidditch games and do everything we have been dreaming about."

That thought did make him smile. He threaded his hand through her hair and leaned down to kiss her. He poured all of his love and passion into the kiss and she responded with equal measure. Harry pulled back and drew her closer into his arms. He rained kisses down her neck as he ran his hand across her back. Ginny buried her head in his neck and bit back a moan of pleasure.

"Harry, love."

He didn't respond, but continued to kiss her. He placed his hands on her hips and lifted her slightly. She wrapped her legs around his waist, even as she whispered into his ear, "Harry, we need to stop."

Ignoring her statement for the moment, Harry captured her lips in a passionate kiss. Despite her words, Ginny kissed him back wholeheartedly. He pulled her closer, revelling in the feeling of her body moulded up against his. He tangled one of his hands in her hair. Ginny moaned and the sound went straight through him. Harry pulled away slightly before resting his forehead against hers. "I know we need to stop. I…I just. Just let me hold you for a minute?"

"Of course, love," Ginny replied as she ran her hands through his hair. She kissed him softly. "We can pick this up later."

He laughed. "Is that my incentive for getting rid of Voldemort?"

"If that works," Ginny replied with a laugh.

Reluctantly, Harry set her back down on the ground. She turned in his arms so they were both facing the Great Hall. Harry wrapped his arms around her as Professor McGongall's voice filled the Great Hall. The students quieted automatically.

"Voldemort is on his way to Hogwarts."

The Great Hall exploded in noise. Professor McGonagall paused for a moment before she once again called for silence.

"Quiet, please. As I said, Voldemort is on his way to Hogwarts. The school has defences that have been activated. However we will be evacuating the younger students. Students who are of age and wish to defend the school will be allowed to remain. However, I must emphasize that if you choose to stay, you will be facing Voldemort and his most experienced followers." She paused for a moment to let that information sink in. "If you stay, you may be wounded or killed, so I want each of you to seriously consider your choice.

Turning to Professor Slughorn, she said, "Horace, you will lead your Slytherins out of here."

He nodded uneasily as he started to round up his students. Professor McGonagall tasked the prefects as well as Professors Slughorn and Sinistra with leading the students to safety. ToHarry's astonishment, at Professor McGonagall's command, a tunnel opened up in the back of the Great Hall. A clanging sound drew Harry's attention and he watched open mouthed as a column of suits of armour lined the newly revealed passageway.

"This tunnel will lead you to a set of caves along the edges of Hogsmeade. Several townspeople will meet you there and there you will remain until someone comes to get you."

As the students left through the newly revealed tunnel, Harry could see some members of the Order of the Phoenix entering the Great Hall as well as former members of the D.A. Hearing Ginny catch her breath, he followed her gaze and saw her brothers entering the Great Hall. Tightening his arms around her, he whispered in her ear, "You will be able to talk to them."

She nodded as she followed Bill's progress through the Great Hall. Harry dropped a kiss on top of her head and hoped that her brothers would believe her. Ginny watched with a growing excitement as her brothers neared the antechamber where she and her husband were waiting. Harry tightened his arms around her before whispering, "Go ahead, love."

Turning, she kissed him before slipping out from under the Invisibility Cloak and hurried into the Great Hall. Harry pulled off his cloak and stuffed it in his pocket while he watched his wife.

She hurried towards her brothers. Launching herself at her oldest brother, she cried out, "Bill."

"Ginny!" Bill caught her in an embrace. He held her close for a moment before Fred and George pulled her away from him and into a hug with the two of them.

"Ginny, we have been so worried about you," Bill said as he hugged her again, kissing her on top of the head.

Looking up into her brother's smiling face, Ginny felt her eyes stinging with tears. "Bill, I …you know that…"

Bill cut her off. "Sweetie, we know it wasn't you." He gestured to the twins. "We've never believed it was you."

She sagged against her oldest brother with relief. "Oh, thank Merlin. I was so worried. They kept printing all of those horrible stories and we couldn't talk to anyone."

"We know you would never go dark," Fred said.

"And Harry would never abandon you," George added.

Ginny hugged all of her brothers again before a thought crossed her mind. "Bill, Mr. Ollivander…is he okay?"

Laughing, Bill replied, "Yes, he looks like he will be okay. Fleur is looking after him. I have to say it was quite a surprise to suddenly find him and a house elf on my doorstep."

"Sorry," Ginny replied. "I…he was in Malfoy Manor and we didn't know what to do. I knew that you and Fleur could help him."

"It's okay, sweetie," Bill said with a smile. "I'm honoured that you trusted us enough to help you."

* * *

The sound of coughing filled the small bedroom in Shell Cottage. Fleur watched in concern as her mother-in-law helped the elderly wizard lay back down on the pillow.

"There, that is better," Mrs. Weasley said gently as she watched Mr. Ollivander relax on the bed. She watched quietly as he drifted off to sleep. Lowering the light in the room with a practiced wave of her wand, Mrs. Weasley quietly left the room with her young daughter-in-law.

The two women headed back toward the kitchen and within a few minutes found themselves sitting at the large kitchen table with a cup of tea and bowl of soup.

"Fleur, what happened? How did he get here?"

Fleur sighed. "I still don't know exactly what happened. Apparently Monsieur Ollivander was being held by Death Eaters. You-Know-Who tortured him personally."

"What? The poor man," Mrs. Weasley said, looking horrified at the thought.

"Oui." Fleur hesitated, not sure how to tell her mother-in-law the rest. "Harry rescued him from where he was being held."

Ignoring the look on Mrs. Weasley's face, Fleur pushed on. "Harry and Ginny broke into the place where he was being held and rescued not only Monsieur Ollivander, but some young Muggle girls as well. Harry had his house elf bring the wandmaker here."

"Harry and Ginny?" Mrs. Weasley looked at the younger witch in confusion. "What are they doing together? I thought he left her."

"Mon dieu! He loves her. He would never leave her. Bill and I have been telling you that, Remus has been telling you that – why won't you listen?" Fleur burst out angrily.

"Have you seen the pictures and the stories? He has been seen carrying on with all kinds of women this year. He abandoned her and…and you've seen the pictures," Molly rebutted.

"Why are you so blind? He loves her and he never left her. Yes, I have seen the pictures – pictures of Harry and a girl whose face we can never see. All we can see in the pictures is her hair. What is Ginny's most recognizable feature? Her beautiful hair. Is it so surprising that they would hide her hair colour?"

Mrs. Weasley sat back, staring at Fleur in confusion, her mind racing. At Christmas, she had been secure in the knowledge that her daughter was safe with Harry. The months of silence combined with the articles and pictures had eroded that conviction to the point where she didn't know what to think. Could Harry have been keeping Ginny safe this whole time?

"But…but why haven't they contacted us? Why didn't she come back home?"

Fleur barely restrained herself from rolling her eyes. "She couldn't. If she came back home, she would have been arrested or sent back to Hogwarts or sent to You-Know-Who. I don't know why we haven't heard from them. Maybe they didn't know how to get word to us. Maybe they thought we would trust them."

Their argument was interrupted by the arrival of a silvery otter. "It is real. Join us if you can."

Both women jumped to their feet. Fleur looked anxiously toward the stairs. "If you would like to go, I will stay with Monsieur Ollivander."

Mrs. Weasley stared at the determined young witch in front of her before nodding. "I will go. I'll send word as soon as I can."

"Tell Bill I love him," Fleur called out as Mrs. Weasley hurried toward the Apparition point.

* * *

"Ron!"

Looking up from his Quidditch magazine, Ron watched his older brother race around the small cabin they shared. "What's going on?"

"They are fighting at Hogwarts," Charlie said as he turned toward his brother. "I just got the message. You-Know-You is headed there."

Ron stared at his brother in shock. _Was it possible? Had Harry done it?_

Charlie grabbed his cloak and turned back to his brother. "Come on, what are you waiting for? I have a Portkey that will take us to Hogsmeade."

Jumping up, Ron hurried over to his brother and grabbed a hold of the old practice Snitch turned Portkey Charlie held out.

* * *

"Harry!"

Turning, Harry caught sight of Neville and Seamus. He hurried towards them.

"Neville, Seamus!" He shook both their hands and was pulled into exuberant hugs by both of them.

"It is great to see you guys," Harry said as he smiled at his former roommates. "Are you okay? Ginny's been telling me how horrible it is here."

"No, we're okay, mate," Neville replied. "Kreacher has been a lifesaver."

"That's great," Harry said. "I'm glad we could do something to help."

Seamus nodded. "You really did." He paused for a moment before continuing, "Is Ginny alright? That _Playwizard_…"

"We know it wasn't her," Neville cut in. "But we couldn't do anything about it. Pansy and Malfoy made sure there was an unending supply of that issue. Snape even made it a punishable offence to have a copy of that…rag."

Harry gave them a weak smile as he looked over at his wife. "Was it as bad as I imagined?"

Neville and Seamus exchanged a glance before Seamus asked, "You mean you haven't seen it?"

Shaking his head, Harry said, "We saw the cover, so we knew that it had been published…but I didn't want to see that…whore pretending to be Ginny."

Neville agreed. "Professor McGonagall was so angry about the articles and the pictures. She caught one of the fourth years with a copy of the article and I have never seen her that angry."

Smiling at their friends' defence of his wife, Harry looked at his two friends. "I wanted to thank you for looking out for Gin when I wasn't here."

"Harry, you realize she was looking out for a lot of people herself," Neville said.

Harry blushed slightly. "I know. She's very strong and very powerful, but at the same time…I just…Thanks for being here when I wasn't."

"Neville, Seamus!" Ginny smiled at her two friends and kissed each of them on the cheek. "Thank you so much for your support over the past few months. It really helped to know that some people believed in me."

Harry stepped back while Ginny greeted their friends. He stumbled slightly and felt a hand on his shoulder to steady him. Turning, he came face to face with his wife's oldest brother.

"Bill."

"Harry," Bill replied, shaking Harry's hand. "It's good to see you."

Gesturing towards his sister, Bill said, "Thank you."

Harry blushed, but smiled. "I'm just glad I was able to help her." He shivered. "I still have nightmares about what might have happened if I hadn't arrived in time."

Bill nodded. "I know. Kingsley told me about the scene in Carrow's classroom. I don't know exactly what happened, but thank you for getting my sister out of there."

They stood in silence for a moment watching Ginny interact with Neville, Seamus and the twins. Bill looked over at the younger man. He looked older to Bill's eyes – it was nothing he could point to, he just looked older and more mature. His hair was a bit longer and he looked a bit more filled out than Bill remembered. The older wizard smiled as he watched Harry watch his sister.

Glancing down, Bill caught sight of the gold ring around Harry's finger. With a smile, he broke the silence. "So is it true that you are my brother-in-law?"

Harry looked over startled. "What? H-how did you…?"

He blushed as he looked over at Ginny. Realizing that she couldn't hear the conversation and wouldn't be able to help him, Harry took a deep breath. "Yes."

The sound of laughter startled him. "Merlin, Potter. I'm not going to hurt you."

He looked nervously at the laughing curse-breaker. "You're not?"

"No." Bill drew himself up to his full height. "Unless I need to."

"N-no, you don't need to," Harry reassured him. "I love your sister. We were just going to perform a betrothal ritual to protect her from the Trace."

"So what happened?"

Harry smiled. "We decided to use the Sponsus ex Amor. Have you ever heard of it?"

A new voice sounded from behind them. "Sponsus ex Amor… that means the pledge of love, right?"

Harry turned to see Remus behind him. "Remus!"

"Harry! I am so glad to see you."

"Did you get my note?"

Remus broke into a smile. "Yes, I did. Harry, that stone for Sirius is amazing."

Blushing slightly, Harry said, "I just really wanted to do something for him. I've been visiting my parents for a while and it just felt right to put something for Sirius there." Smiling briefly, Harry stated, "I'm sorry, Remus. I know you are not a coward. I…I just kept seeing my dad dying and Sirius falling through the veil and I…I'm so sorry."

Remus surged forward and embraced Harry. "Harry, I am the one who should be sorry. You were perfectly right in everything you said. I think that I came to see you because you would yell some sense into me. You made me really think about what I had done and you were absolutely right. James would have been the first to yell at me."

He stepped back and smiled at the younger wizard. "I've been looking for you. Dora had the baby – a little boy, Teddy Remus. He is amazing. He's a Metamorphmagus like his mum. He changes his hair a lot. He seems to favour a turquoise blue." The proud dad pulled out a picture that he handed to the younger wizard.

Harry took the picture and slowly broke into a smile. "A boy, that's great! When was he born?"

"March 10." Remus smiled over at Harry. "We want you to be the godfather. Will you?"

"Me?" Harry said in surprise. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather have someone…I don't know, older?"

Remus laughed. "No, we want you. Besides, you're only three years younger than your parents were when you were born."

Harry paled slightly at that, but smiled. "I would be honoured."

Smiling, Remus met Bill's eyes. Turning to Harry, he said, "I didn't mean to interrupt. You mentioned something about the Pledge of Love?"

Harry smiled as his eyes sought out his wife. "Yes, well as I was telling Bill, Ginny and I…we were originally trying to find a betrothal rite to protect her from the Trace. The Pledge of Love seemed perfect, so we went through the ritual. To our amazement, we were married. It was amazing."

"That explains it," Bill said. Looking at Harry, he explained, "Remus and I have been trying to figure out how you could be married when Ginny was still underage."

"Did you tell anyone else?" Harry asked anxiously. "We…we haven't been able to tell anyone, but after this…we will be able to let everyone know. What do you think your parents will say?"

Bill looked at his young brother-in-law, trying to decide how to answer the question. A loud noise echoed through the Great Hall before he could respond. Harry looked up to see Professor McGonagall hurrying the last group of students through the tunnel.

* * *

A loud gong sounded through the Dining Hall at Beauxbatons, grabbing the attention of all of the students. The teachers reacted immediately.

Madam Maxime stood up quickly. "That noise signifies that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is under attack. Students from that school should be arriving here via Portkey within twenty minutes. I want all younger students to head back to their common rooms. Any students fifth year and older who would like to help, please come up front."

Turning away from the students, Madam Maxime began addressing the staff. The students split into two groups – one headed for the common rooms and the other headed for the front of the Dining Hall. The group of students from Hogwarts that had become so fractured over the past few months suddenly joined together and surged forward to see what they could do for their school.

As the Dining Hall cleared out, a group of older students stood waiting for Madam Maxime to finish conferring with the older staff.

"Is it You-Know-Who?" Justin whispered to Hermione. "Do you think he is attacking the school?"

Hermione looked over at him nervously, her mind racing. "He must be. I can't imagine why."

"Harry must be there," Lauren stated. The others nodded in agreement.

Hermione took no part in the whispered discussion of the others. Could he have done it? Could Harry have actually found and destroyed the rest of the Horcruxes?


	22. Chapter 21  Confronting Voldemort

Ron looked around in shock as he and Charlie hurried up the road from Hogsmeade. He could see both fire and spells light up the castle. The noise was deafening. He thought he'd known what to expect from the skirmishes he and his friends had with the Death Eaters over the past few years. He was wrong. This was on a much bigger scale than anything Ron had ever seen. To his dismay, he realized as he approached the gate that it had been torn from the ground and lay twisted.

Charlie grabbed Ron's arm and pulled him out of the way of a stray spell. "Pay attention! We need to make it up to the castle."

The brothers picked their way across the grounds, avoiding spellfire, accompanied by several citizens of Hogsmeade. The devastation was astonishing. Ron could see several large groups of people exchanging spellfire as well as several giants lobbing huge boulders at the school. To his horror, he thought he saw some of Aragog's descendants roaming the grounds. It took the group a good fifteen minutes to reach the castle steps.

If Ron thought he would find a sanctuary in the castle, he was mistaken. The castle doors swung drunkenly on their hinges. Making their way into the Great Hall, Ron and Charlie immediately joined the fray.

* * *

The splash of spellfire lit up the darkened sections of the grounds as Remus led his group forward. He was grateful the full moon was still over a week away. He could only imagine the damage that could be inflicted if Voldemort had a pack of werewolves available to him tonight. He had plenty of other dark creatures at his disposal, who didn't need a full moon to become a monster.

As he engaged the forces attacking the castle, Remus lost track of the other members of his team. After dodging a violet spell, he incapacitated another Death Eater. The cry of the Killing Curse caught his attention. Turning, he saw young Colin Creevey fall. Horrified, he turned to Colin's attacker and felt a flame of anger well up. _Wormtail_.

"_Confringo_!"

Wormtail turned and confronted his old friend. "Remus! Are you sorry that you chose the wrong side?"

Sending a series of cutting curses at his old friend, Remus didn't respond to the bait. He smiled slightly when he saw Wormtail trip and fall. Scenes from James and Lily's funeral flashed through his head as Remus hurried over to his ex-friend.

"_Expulso_!" Remus blew up the log behind which Wormtail was trying to hide. He stood over his former friend, wondering what had happened to his shy and quiet friend. He hesitated a shade too long.

"_Crucio!"_

Remus screamed in agony as he was hit with the torture curse. Wormtail, emboldened by his success, scrambled to his feet. The traitor laughed as he watched the werewolf recover from the curse. However, he hadn't counted on Remus's quick recovery. Years of monthly transformations had left Remus with a higher pain threshold and an ability to recover from pain faster than most people.

A powerful Severing Curse slashed across Wormtail's chest. Remus lowered his wand slightly as he watched his former friend fall, blood pouring from the wound. He looked on sadly as Wormtail took a deep breath and then stopped breathing. Kneeling by his childhood friend, Remus silently said goodbye before heading back into the grounds.

* * *

Pain seared through Harry's head. He paused and shook his head, trying to clear it. He looked over at Ginny. "I don't see any of the higher level Death Eaters. He must be holding them back as reinforcements."

Dodging a spell, Ginny replied, "What do you want to do?"

"Let's head outside."

The couple made their way out of the castle, stopping occasionally to help out those who seemed to need help. Once outside the castle, Harry pulled his wife into one of the shadowy areas created by the towers. He leaned up against the wall of the castle and motioned for Ginny to do the same.

"I want to see if I can get an idea of where he might be. Can you cover me?"

Ginny nodded as Harry moved past her using the dark as cover. Standing with her back to him, she scanned the grounds for any sign of danger. The amount of destruction wrought in such a short period of time was astonishing. The well - manicured grounds were torn up with craters gouged out of the earth. She could see several areas where portions of the castle wall were missing. There were many figures lying still on the grounds. Ginny shivered as she realized that she didn't know if they were friend or foe. The fact that it could be any one of her brothers or friends chilled her to the bone. More than anything, she just wanted this night over. In her heart she was certain that Harry could defeat Tom and then they could start living their life.

A stifled moan from behind her caught her attention. Backing up so she was standing next to Harry, she could see him crouched on the ground, his back up against the castle wall. He was curled up with his head in his hands. Wishing there was something she could do, but knowing there was not, Ginny settled next to him to watch.

Harry lifted his head and met her eyes with his pain–filled green eyes. "He is in the Forbidden Forest. From what I can tell most of his inner circle is there – Bellatrix and her husband, Malfoy, McNair, Crabbe and Goyle. Snape and Nott have joined them, but I didn't see any little junior Death Eaters. They must be fighting in the castle or on the grounds."

Reaching down a hand, Ginny helped him into a standing position. Slipping her arm around his waist, she let him lean against her while he regained his strength. He tightened his arms around her for a moment, before straightening up. Harry kissed her on the cheek before grabbing her hand. "Come on let's see what we can find out."

A rustling noise caused them to turn. Harry snapped a shield up just as a stunner headed toward them. There were five Death Eaters in front of them. Harry gestured to Ginny and she started firing curses. Harry quickly drew his sword and cut down the Death Eaters closest to him before they realized what happened.

"_Reducto_!" Ginny ducked as her curse hit the man in front of her, shattering his torso. She watched morbidly for a moment as he fell. The sting of a Cutting Curse across her arm snapped her attention back to the two men in front of her.

"_Confringo_!" Her opponent fell.

Turning, she saw Harry's final opponent fall to his sword. Before she could say anything, Harry yelled, "Ginny, watch out!"

He pushed her toward the steps of the school. Ginny quickly spotted the danger as a boulder thrown by one of the giants headed in her direction. She scrambled up the steps, trying to reach the safety of the castle. Just as she reached the entrance hall, the boulder smashed into the steps, sending chipped rock and stone flying everywhere. Ginny bit back a scream as she felt sharp fragments being driven into her legs.

* * *

Bill watched in horror as a pretty blonde girl was thrown to the ground, her throat ripped out. He did not recognize her, but from her youth he thought she might be one of the students. Looking up, Bill saw Fenrir Greyback wiping the blood off his face as he laughed, clearly enjoying himself. White hot hatred flared up in Bill and he started throwing curses at the werewolf. Fenrir yelled as he was taken off guard by Bill's first curse.

Fenrir quickly recovered and attacked the curse breaker. Bill was more prepared for Fenrir's more physical style of fighting than he had been the previous year. As Fenrir lunged at him, Bill yelled, "_Argenteum Sica_!"

He watched in satisfaction as the silver dagger buried itself in the werewolf's chest. Watching for a moment, he waited until he was certain the werewolf was dead before moving on.

* * *

Harry hurried toward the Forbidden Forest, hoping that he had actually seen Ginny make it to safety. Walling off his mounting fears about his wife, Harry focused grimly on the task at hand. As he reached the tree line, he paused. The sounds of the battle were fading and he reviewed what he had seen in Voldemort's mind in an attempt to determine where in the forest Voldemort was hiding.

"_Petrificus Totalus_! _Silencio_!"

Harry silently cursed his lapse in concentration as he fell to the Body Bind Curse. His body hit the rough bark of a large tree. He felt his body being turned around and his rage exploded when he saw his hated former Potions professor standing over him.

Snape sneered at the younger man, savouring his victory. "You don't seem so powerful after all, do you, Potter? Don't you have the sense to pay attention to your surroundings?"

Laughing at the anger in Harry's face, Snape leaned in closer to the young wizard. "Trust me, I do not do this for you."

Confusion showed on Harry's face. He had assumed that Snape would either kill him or take him to Voldemort. Instead he pointed his wand at Harry and whispered, "_Communicato Memoria_."

Harry felt a familiar pressure in his mind, but instead of feeling Snape forcing his way into Harry's memories, Harry felt Snape's memories pushing into his mind. He tried to fight the sensation. He couldn't imagine what horrific memories Snape would share with him, but he couldn't fight it.

Memories flooded over him. Harry watched in confusion as his mother was befriended by Snape and learned the truth about who she was before entering the magical world. He watched his parents' relationship from Snape's point of view. He could feel Snape's longing for his beautiful and vivacious mother. Even in his confusion, Harry was soaking up these memories of his mum. She was so beautiful and kind. He watched in shock as Snape betrayed Voldemort because he targeted Lily and put all of his faith in Dumbledore. Through the link, he could feel Snape's anguish at Lily's death still strong after all of these years. He smirked slightly as he watched his Hogwarts' years through Snape's eyes. The smirk was wiped off his face as he listened to his mentor Professor Dumbledore explain how he, Harry, had to die.

Snape broke the contact between them and leaned panting up against the tree closest to them. Harry stared at him, trying to absorb what had just happened. "So now you know what you must do, Potter."

"Traitor!"

Snape whirled around to find himself facing Edward Nott. He stepped in front of the still incapacitated Harry in an attempt to shield him from Nott.

"What are you talking about?" Snape sneered. "I have captured Potter."

"No!" Nott yelled. "I saw what you did. You are helping him."

Snape watched Nott closely, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"_Sectumsempra_!"

Nott looked down at the huge wound that cut across his chest and abdomen. He looked up at Snape with hatred in his eyes. "_Avada Kedavra_!"

* * *

The fighting in the Great Hall had died down and it was currently being used as a command centre. Ginny limped into the Great Hall and was immediately pulled into a strong embrace.

"Ginny! Are you okay?"

Ginny pulled back and looked into the face of her second oldest brother. "Charlie!"

She tightened her arms around him, revelling in his familiar strength. She smiled when she felt him drop a kiss on the top of her head. The fears and anxiety she had felt all spring had been swept away by the love and acceptance she had felt from her older brothers in the past few hours. She still had not seen either of her parents, but she was now hopeful that they would be accepting of her and her marriage.

The thought of her parents caused her to look around the Great Hall. She could see the damage that had been wrought. The tables had been shoved back against the wall, but she could see they were damaged and in pieces. Gouges had been made in the stone floor and she could see stains of what she thought was blood on the floor. Off to one side, she could see partitions had been set up.

She looked up at her brother quizzically.

"Infirmary," he answered her unasked question. "We've cleared the Great Hall and Bill put up wards so no one with a Dark Mark can enter. The twins headed off to seal up any secret tunnels they know about that lead into the castle. Dad and Bill headed out into the grounds to help with the fighting. I was just heading out myself."

"Voldemort is hiding out in the Forbidden Forest," Ginny blurted out. "Harry was headed out to confront him. I need to be with him."

Pulling out of her brother's arms, Ginny almost fell. He looked over her and swung her up into his arms. "You're hurt. Let's get you patched up and we'll go out together."

Carrying his sister over to the portioned off area, he set her down on one of the empty camp beds that had been set up. Alicia hurried up to her and hugged her. "Ginny, are you okay?"

"I got hit in the leg by some flying rocks," Ginny explained, showing Alicia her injury.

Alicia carefully cut away the leg of Ginny's jeans, exposing a big wound with a large fragment of the boulder still embedded in it. Her leg was still bleeding.

Looking up at her young friend from where she was kneeling by Ginny's leg, Alicia said, "I'm going to take this fragment out and clean and bandage your leg."

Ginny nodded.

"This will probably hurt."

Pain flared in her leg as Alicia pointed her wand at the wound. Ginny grabbed her brother's arm and hid her face in his shoulder just as she had so many times as a child when she had skinned her knees or was being tormented by the twins. Charlie closed his arms around her, glad after so many months without contact to be able to hold and comfort his sister.

"I'm done," Alicia announced. "I cast a numbing charm on your leg, so it should help you get through this."

Charlie helped his sister to stand. "Are you okay, Ginny?"

After putting her weight on her leg, Ginny smiled. "Yeah. It doesn't hurt anymore."

Turning to Alicia, she said, "Thank you."

As brother and sister turned to leave, Alicia said, "Good luck, Ginny."

* * *

Hermione, Justin, and Mandy landed in Hogsmeade with some volunteers from Beauxbatons. After meeting up with some volunteers from London and Hogsmeade, the group hurried up toward the castle with their wands drawn.

Professor LeBlanc hurried them through the grounds. "We need to get to the castle. They have set up a command centre in the Great Hall."

A flash of green lit up the night and Hermione screamed as the witch walking next to her fell over, dead.

"Hermione!" Justin grabbed her hand and pulled her behind the makeshift cover of debris from the castle.

Mandy and several others had joined them, but to Hermione's horror, she saw Professor LeBlanc on the ground his head at an unnatural angle.

"We need to get up to the castle," Justin said.

Pulling herself together, Hermione looked up toward the castle. It had never seemed so far away. She could see fires burning around the grounds. She could see the Whomping Willow in the distance swinging its branches. The holes in the castle wall shook her confidence. She wasn't sure what she had expected when she heard Voldemort was on his way to Hogwarts, but this level of destruction was not what she had envisioned.

A chill gripped the air around them and Hermione wondered why she had bothered to come to Hogwarts. Obviously she would be unable to help. She couldn't find anything positive about the situation.

"Dementors!"

Hermione looked up and saw three black hooded figures gliding their way. Dimly she realized her dark thoughts must have been caused by the Dementors. She tried to think of a happy memory, but was having difficulty bringing one to mind.

"_Expecto Patronum_!"

A silvery weasel and sphinx came soaring over their heads. With great effort, Hermione brought to mind the feeling of dancing with Ron at Bill and Fleur's wedding.

"_Expecto Patronum_!"

Her silvery otter joined the other Patronuses in chasing off the Dementors.

"Hermione!"

"Mr. Weasley." Hermione stood up cautiously.

"Hermione, can you lead the others up to the castle?" Mr. Weasley asked. "We will cover you, but you need to move quickly."

The group ran up to the castle, dodging hexes and curses. As they ran into the castle, Hermione realized that at least one other member of their group had not made it. Pushing that thought aside, Hermione led the way into the Great Hall past several suits of armour standing guard by the doors.

"Justin!"

Turning, Hermione and Justin saw Ernie MacMillan hurrying toward them. Ernie pulled Justin into a warm hug. Over the next few minutes, the returning Hogwarts students were greeted by friends they had not seen in almost a year.

"Hermione!"

Hermione felt herself swept up into a hug. "Ron! I've been so worried! What is going on? Have you seen Harry? Did he manage to find them all?"

Ron chuckled softly as he pulled her off to the side. "Slow down, Hermione. I haven't seen him yet, but I know he's here. I talked to Neville a while ago and he talked to both Harry and Ginny before the fighting started."

He pulled her up to one side of the hall. On the wall was a huge map reminiscent of the Marauders' Map. There were clusters of gold and grey dots all over the map. Unlike the Marauders' Map, these dots were not labeled.

"What is this?" Hermione asked curiously.

"It is part of the castle's magical defences, Miss Granger."

Hermione greeted Professor McGonagall with a smile. She longed to ask more about this unknown bit of magic, but managed to restrain herself.

"What, wasn't that mentioned in _Hogwarts: A History_?" Ron teased.

Hermione glared at him before turning her attention back to Professor McGonagall. "What do you need us to do, Professor?"

"The Death Eaters left in the castle look to be contained," Professor McGonagall stated looking at the map. "This appears to be their staging area." She gestured to an area inside the Forbidden Forest. "Mr. Lupin and Mr. Shacklebolt will be leading two teams into the Forest. Mr. Arthur Weasley and Mr. Bill Weasley will be leading teams cleaning up the school grounds. Both Fred and George Weasley will be sweeping the castle."

* * *

Harry stumbled blindly to Hagrid's abandoned hut and once inside slumped to the floor. _I am a Horcrux? Dumbledore knew that I needed to die?_

His shoulders started to shake. _I don't want to leave Ginny. _The unfairness of it all slammed into him. He had done everything Dumbledore had asked of him and more. Why did he have to give everything? He couldn't even take Voldemort with him. He had to let Voldemort kill him, but he couldn't fight back. Someone else would still need to face Voldemort and kill him.

Harry had no idea how long he had sat slumped on the dirty floor. He felt used and abandoned, but he knew that if he was going to do this, he needed to do it now. If he went back to the castle and saw Ginny, his resolve might falter. Thoughts of his parents and Sirius flashed through his head. He was going to join them now. Standing, he wiped away his tears and straightened up. The determined wizard was going to face Voldemort and make it possible for Ginny to survive.

As he left the dubious safety of Hagrid's hut, Harry pulled his Invisibility Cloak around him. Almost numbly, he headed back toward the Forbidden Forest. A thought crossed his mind and he struggled with one hand to open his mokeskin bag around his neck. Reaching into the bag, he pulled out the old Snitch. Holding it to his lips, he whispered, "I am going to die."

He stood still, waiting and listening. A soft swirling sound reached his ears, like wind whipping through piles of leaves on the ground. Straining his eyes, he saw glowing figures moving toward him. Eyes wide, he watched as his parents and godfather approached him. Sirius looked younger and much happier than Harry had ever seen him. He looked relaxed and healthy.

Harry smiled as he watched his father drew nearer. He really did look just like his father. James was maybe an inch taller than Harry and his hair was shorter than Harry's hair, but it was like looking at an altered photo of himself. James had a big smile on his face as he approached his only son.

"Mum," Harry whispered. He had never been able to say those words out loud before. Tears shimmered in his eyes as he watched her approach. Her beautiful red hair was darker and longer than Ginny's. She was tall and slender and moved very gracefully. Her green eyes shone with pride and love as she approached him.

"Hi, baby," Lily whispered back. "I am so proud of you, my son. You have fought so long and so hard."

Harry nodded mechanically as he took in the three of them. "Sirius…I'm s-sorry. I didn't mean to get you killed."

"Harry, it was not your fault. I knew the risks when I went to the Ministry that night. I let my twisted cousin get the better of me. It was her fault I died, not yours."

"I…I've missed you," Harry said. He winced slightly when he realized how young he sounded, but he didn't really care.

Sirius smiled as he drew Harry into a surprisingly warm embrace. "I love you, Harry. I know I never told you that, but I love you and I am very, very proud of you."

Holding on to his godfather, Harry could feel the love and pride surrounding him. Pulling back, he looked over at his parents. They were standing just a step away. James had his arm around his wife and she was leaning against him. Harry smiled shakily. Seeing them like this was one of his childhood dreams come to life.

"Mum, Dad." Harry stopped, not knowing exactly what to say. "I don't want to die."

He knew he was whining, but he couldn't help himself. "I…I'm married and I…"

Lily was instantly at his side, wrapping her arms around him. As with Sirius, he couldn't feel her actual body, just a feeling of warmth and acceptance. A moment later, James joined in their embrace.

Pulling back, Harry found himself looking into his mother's eyes. She smiled reassuringly at him. "I know, sweetie. I wish I could take this burden from you."

"Does it hurt?"

"No, son. It's like falling asleep," James spoke up for the first time.

Harry looked at the three of them, drawing strength from their presence. "Will you stay with me?"

Taking a steadying breath, Harry headed into the forest, his courage bolstered by his companions.

* * *

Ginny hurried across the grounds toward the Forbidden Forrest, accompanied by her two oldest brothers. Bill had seen them racing across the grounds and had joined them. Ginny bit back a scream as she almost tripped over Professor Snape. He was lying on his side, his unseeing eyes still open and his wand fallen at his side.

Bill knelt down and checked for a pulse. "He's dead. It looks like the Killing Curse."

"From him, I would guess," Charlie's voice sounded from a few feet away.

"That's Edward Nott," Bill said as he looked over toward his brother. "He was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor."

Grabbing the wands that had fallen next to both men, the trio hurried into the forest.

Harry could tell by the noise that the fighting had moved closer into the forest. Several times he had to change direction to avoid the fighting. He glanced over at his companions, drawing strength from their presence.

As he entered the clearing, he saw Voldemort sitting, watching the fighting that had managed to penetrate the forest. Remus and Kingsley were fighting Lucius and one of the Lestrange brothers. These Death Eaters were not masked. They were the inner circle – obviously proud of their devotion to their master.

Harry watched the fighting for a minute, trying to figure out the easiest way to get to Voldemort. He didn't want anyone killed trying to stop him, but he knew the longer he delayed, the more likely someone on his side would be hurt or killed.

He felt his heart almost stop when he saw another group move closer to the fire in the centre of the clearing. He would know that hair anywhere. Ginny and Charlie were fighting Bellatrix Lestrange. All thoughts of his mission or duty were forgotten. Ginny was in danger.

Quickly skirting the perimeter of the clearing, Harry made his way over to his wife. Before he could interfere, Bellatrix fell to the curses of the Weasley siblings. Voldemort rose from his chair with a roar of anger. Charlie fell to a curse from Rudolphus Lestrange, but Harry could tell he was still breathing.

This left Ginny to face Voldemort's rage. Everyone in the clearing froze as Voldemort levelled his wand at the young witch. Ginny did not back down, Harry noticed proudly.

"_Avada Kedavra_!"

Harry watched the green light speeding toward his wife and knew what he had to do. Whipping off his cloak, he stepped in front of Ginny. It was only seconds before the green light hit him. A smile lit his face as the image of Ginny filled his mind.

* * *

A/N: The two spells in this chapter - _Argenteum Sica = Silver Dagger Communicato Memoria = communicate memories  
_


	23. Chapter 22  The Clearing

Harry woke slowly. He was lying on something solid. Reaching out his hand, he felt the floor. It was not stone or earth. He couldn't tell exactly what type of floor he was on. Cautiously, he sat up and looked around the big empty room. The room was white and the edges were filled with a misty smoke. As he started to move, the room changed. It now looked like the Gryffindor common room. A set of robes appeared over the arm of the sofa. Looking down, he realized he was naked. Harry quickly donned the robe and continued to look around the room. _Was he dead? Was this heaven? Why was he alone?_

A moaning sound drew his attention and Harry caught sight of a moaning disfigured creature under the table where he and his friends normally did their homework. It looked like a horribly disfigured baby with Voldemort's red slit like eyes. _What was that thing?_

"Harry."

Turning, Harry saw his godfather headed toward him. "Sirius! Where are we? What's going on?"

Sirius smiled as his godson's eagerness. "This is…I don't know exactly what to call it, but it is a way station of sorts."

"A way station?" Harry looked at him in confusion. "I'm dead, right? I remember getting hit by the Killing Curse."

"Well, not exactly."

"What do you mean, not exactly? I meant to die. I stepped in front of the Killing Curse." Harry froze. "Wait, if I'm not dead, what about Ginny? Is she okay?"

"Ginny is fine," Sirius said, breaking through Harry's panic. Sirius guided his stunned godson over to the sofa and sat down next to him. He smiled proudly at the younger man. "Harry, there were a lot of people who wanted to be the one to talk to you. In some ways, Professor Dumbledore might be the better person to be here, but…we have a stronger connection so I was allowed to come."

Harry calmed at the news that Ginny was alive. He forced his brain onto what may have happened. "But the part of Voldemort's soul that was in me…it's gone, right?"

"Yes, it is," Sirius said with a smile.

"How is this possible?" Harry asked in wonder.

Sirius smiled. "I think you know the answer to that. Think about what you have learned about Voldemort."

Harry thought back over all of his interactions with Voldemort. "My blood. Voldemort took my blood when he had himself resurrected."

"Exactly," Sirius replied. "When he took your blood, he took Lily's protection into his veins. The way Dumbledore explained it, Lily's love and protection is what saved you when you were a baby. The love your mother felt for you was a very powerful enchantment. So powerful that as long as the small portion of the enchantment lived on in Voldemort, he could not kill you."

Harry stared at the fire, trying to absorb everything his godfather had told him. "Did you know?"

"What part? No, Harry. I didn't find out until after I died. Dumbledore played all of it very close to his vest. I didn't even know what the prophecy said until after…" Sirius laughed slightly. "It sounds really strange to say, but after I died."

"So Dumbledore knew?"

Sirius hesitated. "He thought it would work out this way, but he wasn't sure. If you knew you would survive, it wouldn't have worked. You had to believe that you were sacrificing yourself or else it wouldn't work."

Harry felt a flare of anger at his former headmaster, but had to acknowledge it did make sense. He sighed. "I don't know what to think about Professor Dumbledore. I think he just wanted what was best for me, but at the same time…he never told me anything. I read his journals and they helped explain some things to me…but I don't like all the secrets. I realized I was starting to do the same thing and I don't think I want to be like that."

"I know what you mean," Sirius replied. "I was quite angry with him for a long time. I don't think he did right by you or me. He was so focused on getting rid of Voldemort that he forgot that we have thoughts and feelings. He and I have talked several times, some of them at quite a loud volume."

Harry laughed. "I'll bet."

Sirius shared a smile with his godson. "I was actually quite calm, compared to your mother. She was furious with him. She yelled at him for quite some time."

"Really?" Harry asked in wonder. He was not used to someone being so angry on his behalf.

"Really."

His smile faltered as a thought crossed his mind. "Sirius, did you know how Snape felt about my mum?"

The older wizard sighed. "I knew he had a crush on her. We all did. That is one of many reasons James and Snape never got along. I know Lily was sad to lose Snape's friendship, but for her at least, it never went any deeper than friendship. At that time, I didn't realize Snape's feelings for Lily were so strong."

"It's really confusing," Harry said. "I mean on the one hand, he hated me and treated me like crap the whole time he knew me, but on the other hand he turned spy for Voldemort because he loved my mum so much."

"I know," Sirius agreed. "I don't think it's a secret that Snape and I didn't get along. He was rude and hateful and way too interested in the Dark Arts, but he risked his life on a daily basis for the past three years to help defeat Voldemort."

"So was he good or…"

"He was both," Sirius broke in. "When I was a child, I knew most of the future Death Eaters that Snape befriended while he was at school. I despised him for embracing what I tried so hard to escape. He willingly participated in dark magic rituals."

Sirius fell silent while he tried to figure out how to explain this to Harry. "I grew up around these people and I know how seductive the power of dark magic can be. Snape did not grow up in a happy home and for him, the Death Eaters became a family. He wanted to pursue a relationship with Lily, even though she was a Muggleborn. He chose the Death Eaters over Lily and I think he always regretted it. I think he blamed himself for Lily's death and he chose to change sides in an effort to make up for the harm he caused. Does that make him good? I don't know."

"Me either," Harry said. "I feel bad that I didn't trust him or rather trust that Dumbledore had a reason to trust him, but he honestly tried to make me think he was guilty."

"I know, kiddo. I know," Sirius replied with a sigh.

"So I am not dead," Harry clarified after he thought everything over.

"No, kiddo. You are not dead," Sirius replied with a smile. "You have a choice – you can chose to move on or you can go back. It is up to you."

Harry looked up with a smile. "I can be with Ginny?"

Sirius broke into a big smile. "Yes, you can be with Ginny." He laughed. "I knew you two would end up together. I just didn't think you would be married so young."

"I didn't think so either, Padfoot, but I'm really glad we are," Harry said with a smile. "She is amazing."

He looked past Sirius toward the stairs that led to the dorms. "In some ways, I'd love to go on and see my parents. I have loved staying at their house. I feel like I've gotten to know them a bit. But I can't leave Ginny."

"I know that, kiddo," Sirius said with a smile. "Your parents send their love. They love you and are so proud of everything you've done. Your dad was so thrilled that you play Quidditch so well. Go back, love Ginny and have a wonderful life and provide me with lots of god-grandchildren. We will be here when you are ready to move on."

"I love you, Sirius."

"I love you, too."

* * *

The pain that had been missing during his time with Sirius came flooding back. Harry was aware of the hard ground underneath him as well as the sound of soft sobbing coming from above him. He groaned softly.

A soft hand came to rest on his shoulder. He felt a soft curtain fall around his head, the soft floral scent letting him know that it was Ginny.

Without moving, he cracked his eyes open. Ginny was leaning over him. He could see tears streaming down her face. Grief such as he has never seen was etched into her face.

"Gin," he barely whispered.

Ginny paled. "H-harry. You're alive?"

"What happened?"

She leaned closer and whispered. "When y-you stupidly s-stepped in front of the Killing Curse, he f-fell too. I t-thought you were dead."

Harry peered through the red curtain of Ginny's hair. He could see Voldemort starting to move. Looking back up at his wife, he whispered, "It's okay, love. He's mortal now."

Reaching down, he gestured to the disillusioned sword that was still strapped to his leg. "Step back, Gin."

Nodding, Ginny leaned down and kissed him before moving back. She crawled over to Charlie, who had regained consciousness and was watching his sister anxiously. Like everyone else in the clearing, he assumed Harry was dead.

"Ginny."

She looked down at her brother briefly before looking back at her husband. He had not yet moved, but she could tell he was watching Voldemort. Without looking down, Ginny reached her hand out and touched her brother's shoulder. He followed her line of vision and reached up with his other hand to cover hers.

Most of the fighting in the clearing had ceased as they watched Harry and Voldemort. More people from the castle had joined the combatants. Remus had subdued Lucius while Bill and Kingsley had one of the Lestrange brothers bound, the other lay mortally wounded. Dolohov had made his way to his master's side.

"My Lord," Dolohov's voice sounded loudly through the clearing.

Voldemort moved, causing everyone to focus on him. He pulled himself up, snarling at Dolohov who tried to help him. Voldemort cast an eye around the clearing, focusing on Harry who lay still in the centre of the clearing.

A flick of his wand cast a barrier keeping everyone except Harry and the two Death Eaters on the outskirts of the clearing. To Ginny's surprise, Voldemort didn't approach Harry. She watched him watching Harry and realized, to her surprise, that Voldemort was afraid of her husband.

"Are you happy now, Tom?" Ginny yelled as she pulled herself up on her knees. "You killed him."

Voldemort laughed, covering up the gasps and moans of those opposing him. "Of course. Did you really think a mere child could kill me?"

Regaining his confidence, Voldemort headed toward Harry apparently taking Ginny's word that Harry was dead.

"_Crucio_!"

Voldemort laughed as Harry's body convulsed. With a wave of his wand, he tossed Harry's body into the air. He took great delight in tossing him around. Yells from those in the clearing threatened to drown out his laughter.

"This is your great hero, your chosen one. Not so great, now is he?" Voldemort goaded them. He turned to Ginny. "Miss Weasley, I don't think we've been officially introduced. I hear from Lucius that you got to know my younger self quite well. I hope you realize that he died for you."

Voldemort laughed at the pain on Ginny's face. "He was a fool, just like his mentor. He threw his life away, just like his Mudblood mother."

"He is not…was not a fool!" Ginny yelled at him. "He loves me and wanted to protect me just like his mother protected him!"

"Love didn't do him much good, did it?" Voldemort sneered.

"I don't know. I think it did me a lot of good."

Voldemort whirled around while the clearing fell silent in shock. Harry smiled as he bounced confidently on his heels, facing Voldemort.

"What's wrong, Tom? No snappy comebacks?"

Voldemort recovered quickly from his shock. "I don't know how you managed that trick, but you will not be able to hide forever. Do you want someone else to come take a curse for you?"

Harry shook his head. "No, it is just you and me, Tom."

"You think you can somehow defeat me?"

Harry smiled. "I know I can. Your Horcruxes are gone, Tom. It is just you and me now."

Voldemort faltered when he heard about his Horcruxes. He hoped the boy didn't know about all of them. "You have gotten lucky in the past, boy. I have defeated Dumbledore, I have taken over the Ministry and I have taken over Hogwarts."

"You did not defeat Dumbledore." Harry ignored the gasps he heard filling the clearing. "He arranged his own death. He knew he was dying that night on the Astronomy Tower. Snape was loyal to him, not you. It was arranged between the two of them."

"What?"

"Snape was in love with my mother. When you refused to save her, he turned against you." Harry smiled at the anger he saw flash in Voldemort's red eyes. "He asked you to save her, didn't he?"

Voldemort scoffed. "He may have had a passing interest in her, but he knew she was not worthy of him."

Harry shook his head. "You don't understand and that will seal your fate."

"You think you know magic that I don't?" Voldemort laughed. He waved his wand in front of Harry. "I have the Elder Wand, the unbeatable Death Wand. How do you hope to defeat that?"

Voldemort, thinking he had intimidated Harry, was shocked to hear Harry laughing. Harry circled Voldemort. "Did you not hear what I said? You did not defeat Dumbledore. He and Snape arranged his death between the two of them. Snape is dead. He was killed by Nott."

"Why would Nott kill him?"

"Because he saw Snape helping me," Harry replied. "It doesn't matter anyhow. The Elder Wand had already chosen a new master. Draco Malfoy was the new master of the Elder Wand."

"Then I will kill him. It doesn't matter."

"You're right. It doesn't matter because I defeated Draco months ago. I took his wand." Harry smiled at the look of fear that snuck into Voldemort's eyes. "That's right. I am the rightful master of the Elder Wand."

Anger flared and Voldemort raised his wand. "_Avada_…"

Harry dove out of the way and in one fluid motion, drew his sword and brought it crashing down, slicing across Voldemort's neck. The force of the blow decapitated him. Harry and the rest of those gathered in the clearing watched in silence as his head fell to the ground, followed by his body.

Harry fell to his knees next to the body and grabbed the Elder Wand before it could fall into the wrong hands. He looked down on the body of his nemesis, trying to take in the fact that it was over. He used his sword to pull himself to his feet.

Screams and cheering rent the air and the shield Voldemort had put up fell. Ginny was the first to reach him. She threw her arms around him, laughing and crying at the same time. He buried his head in her hair and closed his arms around her. "I love you. I love you. I love you."

Soon the couple was swamped by family, friends, and well-wishers. Harry did not let go of Ginny once. He kept one arm wrapped around her and greeted everyone with the other. News of Voldemort's defeat spread quickly through the grounds and up to the castle.

Harry and Ginny soon found themselves in the Great Hall. Voldemort's body as well as those of his Death Eaters were secured in the antechamber where Harry and Ginny had waited for the fighting to start.

Sorrow welled up in Harry as he watched the victims of the Death Eaters laid out on the floor of the Great Hall. He heard Ginny moan and following her eyes, he saw the body of Colin Creevey being laid out next to Lavender Brown. Tears rolled down both of their faces as they looked around the room.

"My brothers, can you see my brothers?" Ginny asked fearfully.

"Bill took Charlie over to the makeshift infirmary," Harry said as he looked around the room, hoping for another flash of red.

* * *

Ron heard the cheers echoing through the castle as he, Hermione and the twins hurried back toward the ground floor. They had finished sealing the Astronomy Tower and the North Tower and were returning to the Great Hall. They turned down the Charms hallway when Ron saw a flurry of movement in one of the classrooms.

He stopped and gestured toward the door of the classroom. Fred and George nodded their understanding, the looks on their faces far more serious than Ron could ever remember seeing. He looked over at Hermione, detecting fear and determination in her face.

Ron and Hermione flattened themselves against the wall.

"_Confringo_!"

Fred and George blanketed the room with Stupefying Charms. Ron heard two thuds come from within the room. He and Hermione cautiously joined the twins in the classroom.

"Over here," Fred called.

Ron hurried over with his wand drawn. To his disgust, it was Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson. He looked over at his brothers and between the three of them, they unleashed a wide range of hexes on the pair of them.

"Stop it!" Hermione yelled. "You can't just go around hexing unconscious people."

George looked over at her and shook his head before calling out, "_Incarcerous_!"

Leaning over, he checked the tightness of the knots securing the two Slytherins before he grabbed their wands. Searching their robes, George found an extra wand in Pansy's inside pocket.

Holding it up, he said, "Isn't this Ginny's?"

Fred looked over. "I think it is. We'll take it with us."

The twins levitated the two bound Slytherins in front of them and the group started out the doorway. They had reached the end of the corridor when an explosion rocked the hallway. The wall exploded into the hallway, knocking the twins off their feet and subsequently causing Malfoy and Pansy to fall.

* * *

Harry watched as Bill ran out of the Great Hall. Ginny looked over at him. "What happened?"

"I don't know," he replied, a note of concern in his voice. "I think he received a Patronus message and then he ran off."

Their questions were answered as a group of redheads ran in and headed straight for the makeshift infirmary. Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and the two of them hurried over to see what had happened.

"It must have been a time-delayed blasting hex," Ron was explaining to Neville as the couple walked up. "Fred took the worst of it. He was right next to the wall when it exploded."

Harry and Ginny stayed on the edge of the group that waited eagerly for news from Madam Pomfrey, who had hurried over to assess the twins. Harry wrapped his arms around Ginny, who leaned back into his arms, drawing strength from him. It was a tense wait as the group watched Alicia and Susan Bones run around helping Madam Pomfrey, fetching potions and performing spells. Ginny tensed in Harry's arms when a blue robed healer from St. Mungos hurried over in response to Madam Pomfrey's call.

A blue flame lit over the bed of one of the twins and that brought a whole new level of activity. Two more healers hurried over to help.

Harry couldn't understand much of what they were saying about blood pressures and haemorrhaging. Leaning down, he whispered in Ginny's ear, "What does that blue flame mean?"

"It means that someone stopped breathing," Ginny whispered in a broken voice. "We…we saw that happen at St. Mungo's one day when we were visiting Dad. Mum explained what it meant."

As if mentioning her name summoned her, Mrs. Weasley made her way through the crowd with her husband hurrying behind her and stopped at the twins' bedside. Harry dropped a kiss on the top of Ginny's head and ran his hand up and down her arms in an attempt to comfort her. His heart was breaking at the thought of one of the Weasleys dying, a dull ache started in his chest.

The grim group kept their vigil in silence. Noise from the rest of the Great Hall had been muted and a divider had been set up separating the beds of the three Weasley brothers and the rest of the wounded. It was almost a quarter of an hour later that the healers straightened up and spoke to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"They have both been critically wounded, but I believe they will survive." The healer pointed to Fred. "This young man had severe internal injuries as well as head trauma. We will be taking him to St. Mungo's for observation. He will have a rather lengthy recovery, but he should be fine."

Harry thought he heard a sob from Mrs. Weasley before the healer gestured to George and said, "This young man will be fine. We will take him to St. Mungo's also, but he should have a much shorter recovery time."

The silent pall that had enveloped the waiting crowd dissipated with that news. Ginny squealed quietly as she turned in Harry's arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her close. He could feel her tears dropping on his neck.

"It's okay, sweetie. They'll be okay," Harry whispered.

After a few minutes, she pulled away, wiping her eyes with her sleeves. "I know. I think it just got to me."

Before he could reply, a call came from across the room. "Ginny!"

Turning, Ginny saw Charlie sitting up on his bed with Bill next to him. They were waving her over. She hurried over to her brothers and hugged Charlie first.

"I was so scared," Charlie whispered into her hair.

She looked at him quizzically. "What?"

"When V-voldemort held his wand on you. Lestrange hit me with a Reductor Curse to my leg and I couldn't do anything to help you," Charlie explained.

Bill agreed as he pulled Ginny into his own hug. "When that Killing Curse started toward you…Ginny, that was horrible. I couldn't get there fast enough."

Both brothers turned to Harry, who was looking rather upset himself at the thought of the Killing Curse hitting his wife. Bill was the one who spoke up. "Harry, mate. I have never seen anything like that in my life -"

"Ginevra Weasley!"

The four of them turned to see Mrs. Weasley bearing down on them. Ginny sighed. She was really hoping to avoid this confrontation at least for a while.

Mrs. Weasley reached them and grabbed Ginny in her arms, squeezing her for all she was worth. "Ginny, where have you been? We have been so worried about you. Why didn't you contact us? Do you have any idea what we went through? Why didn't you come home?"

By the end of her questions, Mrs. Weasley had worked herself into a full temper. "What were you thinking? Running away? You should have been at home!"

"At home, Mother?" Ginny responded. "If I was at home, I would have been arrested or sent back to school. Either way it would not have been good for me."

Ginny's temper flared as she saw her mother start to shake her head. "And I didn't run away! You must know that Malfoy and Zabini kidnapped me and Pansy used Polyjuice Potion to impersonate me. I know you know that! Alicia said Neville and Seamus told you what happened."

"That was at Christmas, young lady!" Mrs. Weasley yelled back. "Why haven't you contacted us? Why the silence?"

"What was I supposed to do, Mother? Harry told me you were being watched. We didn't know how to get in touch with you without alerting the Ministry," Ginny defended herself.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Neville and Seamus shepherding the others out of the area. Remus stepped closer to Harry, standing behind him in support. Bill cast some silencing charms and surreptitiously summoned his mother's wand as Mr. Weasley spoke up for the first time. "Molly, dear. Please, try to calm down."

Ignoring the glare of his wife, he turned to his daughter and opened his arms. "Ginny."

Despite her anger with her mother, Ginny was happy to see her family again. She threw herself into her father's arms. "Daddy."

Mr. Weasley smiled as he finally held his daughter in his arms again. "I am so glad to see you, my love. We were so worried about you."

"I know, Daddy. I really would have contacted you if I could have," Ginny said as she wiped her eyes yet again. "We just didn't think we could risk it."

"We really didn't, Mr. Weasley," Harry said, speaking for the first time. He took a step closer to his wife and she reached out her hand for him.

"You should have tried!" Mrs. Weasley burst out. Harry cringed at the look he was receiving from her. She continued, despite the looks she was getting from her family trying to silence her. "You took her from her family!"

"No," Harry shot back. "I took her from Death Eaters. They were using the Cruciatus on her. I should have left her there? I got her out of there."

Mrs. Weasley paled at the thought of the Cruciatus being used on her only daughter. She opened her mouth as if to rebut what Harry had said when Charlie interrupted.

"No, Mum. I know you are upset about those pictures, but Harry and Ginny had nothing to do with them."

Ginny looked between her brother and her mother, realization dawning on her. "Y-you thought that was me? You really thought I would turn to the Dark Arts?"

Mrs. Weasley looked slightly embarrassed. "I…I didn't want to believe that, but…we hadn't heard anything and there were all of the pictures of him in paper with other women."

"Other women? Have you never heard of hair dye, Mother?"

"How was I supposed to know that?"

"Oh, I don't know," Ginny replied mockingly. "Maybe you should have trusted Harry and what you know about him."

"Do you have any idea what he did for her?" Bill put in.

Mr. Weasley looked up sharply. "What do you mean?"

Bill exchanged a look with his closest brother before he explained, "He stepped in front of a Killing Curse for her."

Everyone gasped when he said that and Ginny took a step closer to her husband. Harry reached out for her and she willingly went to him.

"Ginny and I were fighting Bellatrix Lestrange and we…we killed her," Charlie explained haltingly. "When Voldemort realized that she was dead…he was so angry. One of the Lestrange brothers took me out and that left Ginny standing alone facing Voldemort. He sent a Killing Curse at her and Harry just stepped right in front of her."

Charlie looked over at Harry and with emotion cracking his voice, said, "I know I can never thank you or repay you for what you did, but if you ever need anything – anything at all, let me know and I will get whatever you need." He held up his hand to stave off Harry's reply. "I know that you didn't do it for us and I can see how much you love her, but we love her too. I, for one, want to thank you for what you did."

Harry nodded shakily as he pulled Ginny into his arms. "I only did what I needed to do. When I saw the Killing Curse headed for her…I didn't know what else to do. I didn't even think about it. I just stepped in front of it. But…I had to…"

"What do you mean you had to?" Remus asked as he put his hand on Harry's shoulder.

Looking down at Ginny, Harry saw the questions in her eyes as well. He knew he would have to explain what had happened. He looked around the group gathered in the makeshift infirmary. George and Fred had been taken to St. Mungo's, but the other Weasley brothers were there as well as Hermione and Remus Lupin.

"Did you cast any privacy charms?" Harry asked Bill.

Bill nodded. "No one else will be able to hear what you have to say."

"Sit down, Harry," Remus said gently as he guided the young couple to an open bed. The rest of the group settled on the beds vacated by the twins with Bill sitting on the foot of his brother Charlie's bed. Remus sat on the end of the open bed with Harry and Ginny.

Taking a deep breath, Harry asked, "Do you know what we were doing?"

"We think that you were looking for Horcruxes. Is that right?" Bill asked. At the look in Harry's eyes, he explained, "Ron and Hermione couldn't tell us what you were doing, but we knew you were looking for something. It was Ravenclaw's diadem that gave me the clue what you were doing."

Harry ignored Hermione's intake of breath and nodded. "Tom Riddle made six Horcruxes. He was terrified of dying so he was trying to extend his life. Professor Dumbledore found and destroyed two of them. He left me with the task of finding and destroying the rest of them. I honestly didn't know that much when we left the Burrow. Ron, Hermione, and I found one of them right away, but we didn't have any luck finding the rest of them. After they…left, I found and destroyed one in Godric's Hollow."

Reaching for Ginny's hand, he continued, "I came to Hogwarts to look for another one and I…I was able to rescue Ginny. She helped me and we found and destroyed the last two Horcruxes. Riddle discovered that we had destroyed at least some of them and he came here to look for the Horcrux he'd hidden here.

"Snape…found me as I was headed toward the forest. He did some spell that let me see some of his memories. He knew my mum and I think he'd fallen in love with her. When he realized that he helped cause her death, he turned to Dumbledore and became a spy. What Dumbledore never told me was that I had become a Horcrux."

Harry closed his eyes as he heard the gasps around him. He felt Ginny put her hand on his face. He was almost afraid to look at her, but gathering his courage, he opened his eyes, unsure of what he might see in her eyes. To his relief, he could only see love and support in her eyes. Ignoring the others for a moment, he kissed her gently on the lips.

"I'm sorry, baby. Snape showed me what happened and that I needed to die. I didn't want to…I wanted to stay with you, but I knew that if I didn't kill him…we wouldn't have any kind of life." He gently wiped the tears from her eyes, ignoring his own tears. "I didn't know exactly what I was going to do, but when I saw the Killing Curse headed toward you…it just made perfect sense. If I had to die, it was best if I died protecting you."

Pulling Ginny onto his lap, Harry held her as she cried softly. "I'm sorry, baby. I…I didn't have time to tell you what was going on. I just…"

Trailing off, he buried his head in her hair. "I love you."

Remus watched the young couple, amazed at the strength of will it must have taken for Harry to step in front of Ginny. It was the same strength of will that had driven Lily to stand in front of Harry's cot to protect him from Voldemort. He wiped his eyes and vowed that he would be there for Harry from now on.

The young couple comforted each other and whispered back and forth. With his keen hearing, Remus heard whispers of love and support between the two of them. After a few moments, Harry lifted his head and gently kissed his wife again. Ginny laid her head on his chest.

Charlie broke the silence. "Don't take this the wrong way, Harry, but why didn't you die?"

Harry managed a slight smile. "I still don't understand everything, but it had to do with the blood protection my mother gave me. He couldn't kill me because of her blood protection. He hit me with the Killing Curse, but it affected both of us." Harry paused. He didn't want to share his conversation with Sirius with anyone except Ginny and maybe Remus. "I came back somehow and because I gave myself up willingly…I had the opportunity to kill him."

Mr. Weasley shook his head in amazement. "That is amazing, Harry. I agree with Charlie. We can't thank you enough for saving Ginny."

Harry tensed and pulled Ginny closer. He was afraid the Weasleys were going to try to separate them.

Clearing his throat, Bill said quietly, "Harry, you were telling me and Remus about the charm you cast."

Moving over so he was next to the young couple, Bill knelt by his young brother-in-law. "Charlie and I will be here for you and of course Remus will as well. It is better to get it over with all at once."

"I agree," Remus added. "I'll be here for you."

Nodding, Harry looked nervously over at his in-laws. "When we left Hogwarts, we needed a way to…protect Ginny and get around the Trace."

"You can't break the Trace until you are of age," Hermione chimed in, speaking for the first time.

"Actually, Hermione, you can," Bill replied. He looked at the young couple with a smile. "If a couple is betrothed, they can get around the Trace."

"Betrothed!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "You can't be betrothed without parental permission."

"We started researching magic rituals before we left Hogwarts," Ginny explained. "I found something called Sponsus ex Amor or the Pledge of Love. It is an ancient betrothal ritual that can still be used, but does not need parental permission. It basically has one of three outcomes, depending on the strength of the couples' love and commitment. If the couple isn't committed, there are major consequences – they can lose their magic. If the couple is attracted, but not yet in love, they will be betrothed. For a couple already in love and committed, the pledge acts as a marriage vow."

She looked over at Harry who continued, "We performed the pledge and…we are married."

"Married?" Mrs. Weasley glared at the young couple before turning to her husband. "Have you ever heard of this pledge?"

"Mum," Bill broke in. "I checked our records at Gringotts. They are married."

"You knew about this?" Mrs. Weasley glared at her oldest son.

"Molly, I asked him to check into it," Remus said quietly. "Harry had managed to get a letter to me. He left it with a priest at the church where his parents are buried. The priest mentioned Harry's wife. I told Bill about the letter and my conversation with the priest. I didn't say anything to you, because I was waiting for more information."

"Mrs. Weasley, we didn't mean to go behind your back or hide our marriage from you or anything," Harry said earnestly. "I love Ginny and she loves me. We honestly didn't expect to end up married, but I am very happy that we did. I couldn't have done what I did without her. She is…" Harry looked over at Ginny and smiled before he continued, "She is amazing. She is smart and funny and she believes in me."

Mrs. Weasley's face softened as she looked at the two of them. "I always hoped you would end up together. I just never expected it to be this soon. I…I need some time to think about all of this. I do love you both."

Standing, she looked at her husband. "We should get over to St. Mungo's." She walked over to the young couple and hugged both of them. "We will talk more later."

Ginny nodded as she hugged her father. She leaned into her husband as she watched her parents leave.

* * *

A/N: The blue flame over Fred's bed was not my idea. I borrowed it (with permission) from Rachelme177's Follow the Phoenix. If you haven't read that story it is wonderful!

.net/s/5069455/1/Follow_the_Phoenix. Hope everyone has a Happy New Years!


	24. Chapter 23  Best Mates

"Harry!"

Harry sighed as he heard his former best friend call out his name, the dull ache that started in his chest earlier intensified. He and Ginny had just left the Great Hall after a rather intense confrontation with the Weasleys. The exhausted wizard really didn't want to have another confrontation.

"Harry, wait, please."

He sighed. Knowing Hermione as he did, Harry decided it was better to talk to her now. He stopped and waited for Hermione to catch up with them. Once she did, Harry gestured them into one of the empty classrooms that lined the hall. He smiled slightly to see the glare his wife was sending toward the other woman. Harry sat down on the edge of the desk in the front of the room with Ginny at his side. Hermione paced in front of the couple.

"Harry, are you sure it is over?"

Harry stared at Hermione in astonishment. "That is really the first thing you have to say to me? Am I sure it is over? Yes, Hermione, I am sure it is over."

Flushing with embarrassment, Hermione tried to start again. "I'm sorry. Harry, that is not…I just don't know what happened and…"

"So the only reason you wanted to talk to me is to get information?" Harry stared at her, hurt flooding into his face. "You lost that right when you left me alone in the rain that night."

"I'm sorry, Harry." Hermione knew that she wasn't expressing herself correctly. She felt a rising fear that Harry would leave before she could make him understand how badly she felt about everything that had happened. "I never meant to leave you that night. I…I just wanted to stop Ron. I caught up with him just as he was leaving."

With a shaky voice, Hermione shared what had happened that night with Harry and Ginny. "We came back, Harry. We came back and looked for you. I…we didn't know what to do. We stayed there for another night and then we went to Godric's Hollow. When we couldn't find you…it was horrible. I was so worried about you, Harry. I really was. I had no idea where you were or where to find you."

"So it was all a mistake?" Harry asked. "You left me alone in tent in the rain and you didn't mean to? Why didn't you come back that night?"

"I...it had been such an emotional night and I didn't want to start another fight. It never crossed my mind that you would leave," Hermione said as she sank down into one of the desks in the front of the classroom.

Hurt, relief, and anger warred within him. "Hermione, you left me alone in the rain with no supplies. Instead of coming back for me so I could sleep in a warm place with good food, you left me. I went back to my relatives' house. There was no electricity and I only had what food and money I could find."

Harry could feel the hurt and despair of those bleak, cold days come rushing back. "I was living in the cold on tinned soup and bread while you were at the Weasleys and now you tell me 'oops, it was a mistake'?"

Reaching over, Ginny took his hand in hers. Harry looked over and saw the love and support in her eyes. Ignoring Hermione for the moment, Ginny leaned over and kissed him softly.

With a smile still on his face, Harry turned back to Hermione. "I was so hurt when you left. I mean I know that things weren't great, but I did not lie to you or make you come with me. You laughed at me when I tried to get you not to come with me. So after you insisted on coming with me, when things got a bit rough, you just left. I told you everything Dumbledore told me. For months I wondered what I had done that was so wrong."

Hermione listened with tears in her eyes. She looked like she was going to say something, but Harry continued, "But I think in the end it turned out for the best. I realized that I needed to change things if I was going to end this war. I spent weeks reviewing spells and practicing magic. I relied on you too much and obviously that was a big mistake. Once I felt more confident, I went to Godric's Hollow and then later onto Hogwarts. Remember how I kept saying I wanted to go there and you kept saying 'no, it wasn't a good idea'? Well, guess what? Not only did I find two more Horcruxes, I was able to destroy them and most importantly I was here when Ginny needed me."

Tears spilled over in Hermione's eyes as Harry continued on his rant. "Ginny supported me and she helped me. Did you know I could still get money from my vault? All I had to do was ask Kreacher and he got me money. We left Hogwarts with a plan and we found and destroyed the last Horcrux. So to answer your original question, yes Hermione, I am sure it is over."

Harry stopped and a wave of guilt washed over him as he watched his friend silently cry. He felt ashamed that he had made her cry as that hadn't been his intention. She straightened up when Harry stopped talking. "I truly am sorry for hurting you, Harry. That was never my intention. I really only wanted to stop Ron and then everything just spun out of control."

"So you went home to my parents' house and made them think that Harry left you because he was jealous of Ron," Ginny finished for her as she spoke up for the first time.

Hermione glared at her. "I didn't mean for that to happen. I just didn't want Ron to get in trouble with his family. I didn't realize how your mother would interpret what I'd said."

"What?" Harry asked.

"Neville told me," Ginny explained. "He and Seamus went to my parents' house to help figure out what had happened when I disappeared. Ron and Hermione were both there and apparently Hermione had made it seem like you left because you were jealous of her and Ron."

"I didn't want Ron to get in trouble with his family," Hermione tried to explain. "We did tell them the truth."

Harry didn't say anything for a minute as he watched his former best friend. He had thought she had lost the ability to hurt him, but to his dismay, found that wasn't the case. "You told them I left?" He laughed bitterly. "I guess you really did make your choice, didn't you?"

"Harry -"

Harry stood up and pulled Ginny up with him. "No, Hermione, I am done with this conversation. I hope you and Ron are happy together."

The couple left Hermione alone in the classroom. She buried her hands in her face and sobbed for the friendship she had broken so carelessly.

* * *

"Mr. Potter."

Harry stiffened as he turned to see the Interim Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, standing in front of him. He sighed.

"Are you here to arrest me?"

Ginny grabbed his hand. From the look on her face, she wasn't going to let that happen without a fight.

"Arrest you? Why in Merlin's name would I arrest you?" Kingsley looked at him in confusion.

Professors McGonagall and Flitwick approached as well as Remus and Bill and arrayed themselves around the young couple.

Gripping Ginny's hand, Harry replied grimly, "For the Carrows' murder, or for killing Voldemort or, hell, I don't know. I heard I was wanted for questioning in the death of Albus Dumbledore."

Kingsley looked at the young hero in confusion. "Merlin, no, Harry. I know that you did what had to be done. There were a lot of decrees and laws that we will be overturning in the next few weeks."

"And Ginny? Neither of us will be arrested?"

"No, I promise neither of you will be arrested for your actions over the past year," Kingsley promised. As he looked into Harry's expressive green eyes, he realized anew how deeply the wrongs that had been done to Harry cut. Fudge and Thicknesse had both actively led a campaign against the young man and he knew that Fudge and Scrimgeour had tried to use the boy to garner support from the Wizarding public. "Harry, I know that you have no reason to trust the Ministry. I am just hoping for some of your time in the next few days so I can understand what happened. I know that you have quite a bit of insight into the Death Eaters and I was hoping you would share your knowledge with me."

Harry exchanged a look with Ginny. "I need a few days, but I promise I will come in and talk to you."

"That is all I can ask," Kingsley replied. "I promise that things will be different."

Wrapping his arm around his wife, Harry watched Kingsley leave. He took a deep breath and suddenly it felt like his chest was on fire. The dull ache he had been ignoring for hours turned into a sharp pain. He started panicking when he realized he couldn't catch his breath.

"Harry?" Ginny could feel the sudden effort that Harry needed to breathe. Turning, Ginny could see the fear on his face.

Remus hurried over to Harry. As he caught sight of Harry's face, he yelled out, "Bill, get Madam Pomfrey!"

He slid his arm under Harry's to support him as he saw Ginny starting to struggle under Harry's weight. He felt Harry leaning heavily upon him. They had taken one step forward when Harry lost consciousness. With the help of Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom, Remus carried Harry over and placed him in the bed next to Charlie Weasley.

Madam Pomfrey and one of the St. Mungo's healers hurried over to him. Remus saw Madam Pomfrey shake her head as she cast diagnostic spells.

"His lung has collapsed and is filled with blood. Do you know how this happened?" Madam Pomfrey called out as she started performing a healing charm.

"H-he was hit in the chest with the Killing Curse," Ginny replied shakily as she sank down on her brother's bed.

"Voldemort hit him with the _Cruciatus_ several times. He was kind of…tossed around the clearing," Bill added as he reached out for his sister's hand.

Muttering under her breath, Madam Pomfrey and the healer poured potions down his throat. Ginny gripped her brother's hand with tears filling her eyes. She couldn't lose him now, not when he'd finally won.

After several tense minutes, Madam Pomfrey straightened up. She made her way to Ginny's side. "Mrs. Potter, he will be fine. I can't do anything for the scar or the bruising on his chest. I believe that will have to heal naturally. He will always have the scar, but I think it will fade with time. Dark Magic leaves scars. The bruising should fade away."

Ginny nodded as she impatiently wiped away her tears. "What about his lung? I heard you say something about his lungs."

Madam Pomfrey knelt next to Ginny. "His lung collapsed, which means that fluid or in his case blood filled up the space between his lung and the lining around his lung. We were able to drain that blood and his lung has re-inflated, but I want to observe him overnight. There is always the possibility that his lung could collapse again."

"B-but he will be okay?" Ginny asked.

Madam Pomfrey smiled. "He will be okay. I am going to move him up to the main Infirmary. You can stay with him if you would like."

"Madam Pomfrey, can you look at her leg?" Charlie asked. "Alicia cleaned it up earlier, but I think someone should take a look at it."

With a practiced wave of her wand, Madam Pomfrey unbandaged Ginny's leg. Ginny gasped as she realized for the first time the Numbing Charm Alicia had cast was starting to wear off.

Madam Pomfrey cleansed the wound and applied a thick blue paste to Ginny's leg before rebandaging it. "I will give you a Pain Potion once we get upstairs."

Thirty minutes later, Ginny found herself changed into warm pair of pyjamas that had been retrieved by Kreacher. Madam Pomfrey had set up beds for Ginny, Harry, and Charlie side by side and partitioned off the area.

"Mistress, are you okay?"

Ginny smiled at the house elf standing in front of her. "I am fine, Kreacher. How about you?"

Kreacher drew himself up straight. "I am unharmed, Mistress. Dobby and I were able to rally the house elves to fight the invaders. Dobby and Winky were both injured in the fighting." He sighed. "I am sorry to report that Winky and two of the Hogwarts elves were killed in the fighting, Mistress."

"So, Kreacher, I am so sorry. Is there someone taking care of those that were injured?" Ginny asked, looking around as if to look for any wounded elves.

"Yes, Mistress. We have our own healers who are looking after those that were hurt," Kreacher replied.

"Okay, thank you Kreacher," Ginny said sleepily. She had already taken the Pain Potion that had been provided for her and was getting sleepy.

"Please get some rest, Mistress."

* * *

Ginny had a moment of panic upon waking when she realized that Harry was not next to her. The events of the day before came flooding back to her. Sitting up, she saw her husband sleeping in the bed next to her. She gingerly got out of bed, testing her leg as she did so. To her relief, she had no pain.

She padded over to her husband's bed. Smiling, she caught sight of Sparkle curled up next to him. She vaguely remembered Kreacher bringing them clothes as well as Sparkle from their current London flat.

Leaning over, she kissed Harry on the forehead. He didn't stir, but Sparkle lazily opened her eyes and stretched. "Hey, girl."

Ginny sat at the foot of Harry's bed with Sparkle in her arms and watched him sleep.

"Is he okay?"

Turning, Ginny saw her brother. With a glare, she responded, "Why would you care?"

"Ginny-"

"Don't Ginny me, Ron. You left him. How could you do that?"

The fear and anger that she had felt over the past two days came bubbling to the surface. Placing Sparkle gently on the bed next to Harry, Ginny stood and turned on her brother. She pushed him out of the private sleeping area.

"You promised me, Ron. You promised you would look out for him and what do you do? You left him. You left him in the rain with no supplies! Do you know he made himself sick looking for the two of you in the rain? He ended up at his relatives' house where it was cold and he had hardly any food and he was sick. How could you do that?" Ginny's voice was cold and angry. She was trying not to yell as she didn't want to wake her husband.

Ginny's words cut him deeply. It was true. He had promised her he would look after Harry and he had promised Harry he would be there. "I'm sorry, Ginny. I just…it was very hard. He told you about our fight?" He recoiled slightly from the anger in his sister's eyes. "I guess so. Well…the Horcrux, it was horrible. It kept telling me…it kept telling me I was in the way and that they didn't need me. It just seemed like Harry was much better for Hermione than me."

"What?" Ginny stared at her brother in astonishment. The anger in her warred with the memories of her first year. She knew how well Riddle could twist your thoughts and fears.

Ron nodded miserably as he sank down onto one of the unused beds at the end of the wing. "I just felt so…second best around him."

He looked up at his sister, his blue eyes shining with emotion. "I…I talked to Charlie a lot. I went to stay in Romania with him." He felt the thickness in his throat as he continued. "I feel so bad, Ginny. I really do. Bill and Charlie sat me down one night and talked to me about…about everything. I was blaming Harry for things that were my own fault. I didn't prepare for the hunt at all. I expected Hermione and Harry to do all the work and I got angry when that didn't work out. The food…I know everyone makes jokes about the amount of food I eat, but…we hardly had anything while we were travelling and it just made me angrier and angrier."

"I am so sorry I let him down. I was a complete prat about the whole thing. I can see that now," Ron finished.

"Why did you leave?"

The siblings turned to see Harry watching them. Ginny hurried to his side and wrapped one arm around his waist. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and dropped a kiss on the top of her head, but his attention was focused on Ron.

"Do you know how many nights I lay there trying to figure out what I did wrong? I was angry, yes. I was trying my best, but nothing was good enough for you. If I caught fish, it wasn't the right kind. If I made a suggestion, the two of you shot it down. It was like suddenly you didn't trust me anymore," Harry said."I…I'm so sorry, Harry," Ron said softly. "I never meant to let you down."

"I was so lost those first few weeks," Harry said as he tightened his hold on Ginny. "I still had to find and destroy the rest of the Horcruxes, but now I didn't have any help. I stayed in my relatives' cold, empty house and practiced my magic. In a way, you did me a favour. I'm much stronger in my magic and much more secure in my abilities now."

He speared Ron with a sharp look. "Where were the two places I wanted to go?"

"Godric's Hollow and Hogwarts," Ron answered softly.

"That's right," Harry said. "I found what I needed at both places. Can you imagine what would have happened if I wasn't at Hogwarts over Christmas?"

Ron swiped at his eyes, shaking his head. "No, mate. I can only say I am so sorry and I am so grateful that once again you were here for Ginny when I wasn't. I like to think of myself as your best mate, but I know I haven't been recently. I had a lot of time to think since we left you. I will admit, I was angry at first. I don't ever know why I was so angry, but I was angry and I blamed you for everything that was wrong in my life. It took me a while to realize that it was me, not you that was letting people down. You are right. I expected it to be a grand adventure and I didn't plan on having to …work."

Ginny growled slightly. Ron hurried on. "I know. I was a total prat. I've been doing a lot of thinking in the past few months. I've been working in the kitchen at the Dragon Reserve and I've been taking classes. It's been rather a wake-up call for me. I need to work harder and I need to be a better friend."

Looking up, Ron met Harry's gaze. Harry calmly returned his look before looking down at Ginny. He knew in all honesty he was less upset at Ron than Hermione. He knew Ron and he knew his insecurities, but he had really counted on Hermione. "What do you think about me and Ginny being married?"

Ron grimaced slightly. "I know you love her. I have a hard time thinking about my little sister being married, but I don't think anyone else is good enough for her."

"You hurt me, Ron," Harry said. "You really did and you need to give me some time."

* * *

"Do you want to hold him?" Tonks asked with a smile. She bit back a laugh at the terrified look on Harry's face. He could defeat the most feared Dark Lord of all, but he was scared of a tiny baby.

Harry sent a glare in her direction before sinking down into the large armchair in the living room of the Potters' London flat. Tonks gently lay the baby in his arms and showed him how to support Teddy's head and neck.

"He's so tiny," Harry said in amazement, his terror and annoyance fading in the face of the tiny baby he was holding. Teddy opened his eyes and stretched slightly before snuggling closer into his godfather. Harry looked over to see Ginny watching him with a smile on her face. She moved over and sat on the arm of his chair.

"He's amazing," Ginny said as she planted a kiss on his forehead.

Tonks made her way over to her husband who wrapped his arms around her. "We made a good choice, didn't we?"

Wiping away his tears, Remus nodded. "We did. He is an amazing man and an amazing role model. Look at them."

He gestured to the young couple who were fussing over the baby. "He will love him and protect him with everything in him."

"How are your brothers?" Tonks asked after Teddy had been put down for a nap.

Ginny smiled. "They are much better. George got out of the hospital last week and Fred should be able to go home tomorrow."

"That's good," Remus said. "We've had enough bad news. It's time for some good news."

Harry nodded. The past two weeks had been very difficult. A total of thirty people had died in defence of Hogwarts that night, including Colin Creevey, Lavender Brown, Katie Bell, and Terry Boot. Harry and Ginny had attended all of the funerals.

"I hear you met with Kingsley," Tonks commented. "How did that go?"

Harry made a face. "It took hours to tell him everything and I had to answer questions for two days. I think it will help, though. All of the higher lever Death Eaters are in prison and I was able to provide evidence against them."

"Did you hear about Draco and Pansy?" Ginny asked. "They made a full confession. _Witch Weekly_ is printing a whole edition dedicated to exposing Pansy's lies and telling the truth."

Tonks laughed. "I heard that you actually gave an interview for them."

Giggling, Ginny nodded. "We gave an interview and did a whole photo shoot." She leaned over and kissed her husband. "Poor Harry didn't have much fun, but he was a good sport."

"So what are your plans now?" Remus asked.

Harry sat up a bit straighter. "That's one of the things we wanted to talk to you about." He reached over for Ginny's hand. "Gin and I, we obviously missed a lot of school, but we don't want to go back to Hogwarts. Not only have we been through so much, but we're married and we won't live apart."

Taking a deep breath Harry asked, "We were wondering if you would be willing to tutor us. We would pay you, but we thought that would be the best solution for us. Would you?"

Remus stared at him for a minute. "You want me to tutor you?"

"Yes," Ginny replied. "We know we should get our NEWTS, but as Harry said we don't want to go back to Hogwarts. You were the best Defence teacher we ever had there. Plus you are really the last link Harry has to his parents."

Remus exchanged a look with his wife. He had always had trouble finding steady work and this would certainly alleviate their pressing monetary concerns. Harry and Ginny withdrew to the kitchen to give the older couple privacy to discuss the matter.

"I think it is a great offer, love," Tonks said softly. "You love to teach and I'm sure those two would very motivated to learn. It would keep you at home."

"What about when you go back to work, love? What about Teddy?"

"My mum has already said she wants to help watch him," Tonks replied.

Remus looked up with a smile on his face. "I think it sounds wonderful."

"Harry!"

The younger couple returned to the living room. Remus smiled. "I would be thrilled to be your tutor until the two of you are ready to take your NEWTS."

"Thanks!" Ginny hugged him. "Thank you so much, Remus."

"You are welcome," Remus replied. "I think it would be the perfect solution."

* * *

Harry watched the Lupins leave with a smile on his face. As he waved to the older couple, he felt his wife slide her arms around him. He turned in her arms to face her. She smiled up at him as he leaned down to kiss her.

"I love you."

"I love you," he whispered as he placed open mouthed kisses along her neck and collar. Lifting his head, he captured her mouth in a passionate kiss. She responded, threading her fingers through his hair.

He closed the door as she pinned him against it, running her hands up under his shirt. "Let's get you out of this."

Harry obliged, ridding both of them of their clothes. Lifting her into his arms, he carried her back to their bedroom.

Several hours later, Harry woke from his nap to find his wife still in his arms. "I can't believe it is over," he whispered. "We really do get to live our lives."

"We do," Ginny replied. "We get to live our lives however we want, thanks to you."


	25. Chapter 25

_**Five years after the Defeat of Voldemort**_

Neville looked up as Ron entered the Leaky Cauldron. "Ron! Hey mate!"

"Neville!" Ron exclaimed as he grabbed his former roommate in a hug. "How are you? I heard you were travelling."

"I was," Neville acknowledged. "I just got back from South Africa."

"Wow." Ron was impressed with Neville. "Are you staying here at the Leaky?"

"Yeah," Neville replied as the two of them sat at a booth in the back of the pub. "I didn't want to stay with my Gran, so I've been staying here."

He blushed as Hannah Abbott approached them to get their order. After they placed their order, Ron turned to Neville. "So, Hannah?"

He laughed as Neville turned an even deeper shade of red. "Yeah, we've gone out for coffee once or twice. She's really nice."

Ron nodded. "She's always been very friendly. Are you headed back out somewhere exotic or are you sticking around for a while?"

Neville shook his head. He had been working for the Apothecary on Diagon Alley as one of their Herbology experts since he had graduated from Hogwarts. "No, actually. I'm going to be working at their nursery in Newbury."

"Hey, congrats, mate! That's great."

"So what are you doing these days?" Neville asked after they had placed their orders. "Are you still working with the twins?"

"No, I started working for the Department of Magical Games and Sports," Ron said proudly. "I've been there for almost two years now."

"Two years? Wow, has it been this long since we've seen each other?" Neville asked.

"I think so," Ron replied. "Wasn't it at Seamus and Demelza's wedding?"

"Yeah, I think it was," Neville said in amazement. "I can't believe it's been that long. I saw them not too long ago."

"Really?"

"Yeah. They were in South Africa for the World Cup. Harry and Ginny were there as well," Neville explained. He flushed as he looked over at Ron.

To his relief, Ron nodded. "I got a letter from Harry about the World Cup. He and Ginny enjoyed South Africa so much that they were going to stay there for a while."

"Yeah, Ginny really loved the animal reserves. She wants to learn more about the Care of Magical Creatures. After the World Cup, they were headed up into Zimbabwe to vacation at Victoria Falls," Neville said.

Ron's eyes lit up. "Did they tell you their news?"

Neville started to shake his head, but stopped. "Is she pregnant?"

"Yeah, they just let us know," Ron replied enthusiastically. "Mum is so excited. She wishes they were closer, but she is very excited about another grandchild."

"That's great. I am so happy for them," Neville said. "Demelza said that she thought Ginny might be pregnant, but neither Harry nor Ginny said anything."

Hannah brought their order over with a smile for Neville. After he dug into his shepherd's pie, Neville asked Ron, "So are things better with you and Harry?"

Ron grimaced slightly. "Yeah, we've been writing back and forth. We both made mistakes and we are getting along much better. He and I went to see a match between Gimbi and Patongo a couple of months ago and it was great." He smiled at the memory. "Did you hear about me and Hermione?"

"What?" Neville looked shocked. "Did the two of you finally get together?"

Ron blushed. "Yeah. She studied in France and Australia before coming back to work at the Ministry. We started dating and it's been…great. In a way I'm glad we didn't get together back at Hogwarts. I'm not sure we would have made it. She has also made her peace with Harry and Ginny. It's taken a while, but they are getting along now."

"That's great, Ron," Neville said. "I'm happy for you."

_**Ten years after the Defeat of Voldemort**_

Ginny shivered as her bare feet hit the cool, stone floor. Crossing the room, she opened the door and walked out onto the balcony. She looked out over the extensive grounds with mixed feelings. She loved the house and grounds with its Quidditch pitch and swimming hole, but she wasn't sure how she felt about being back in England. They had only been in England for two days and the media was already all over them.

The _Daily Prophet_ had run a huge spread on the Potters when Harry had been chosen as seeker for England. Much of the coverage was positive with a rehashing of Voldemort's defeat, but there were also stories bringing up the old stories about her. Even after ten years and a full confession by Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson-Nott, there were those who still persisted in believing the old stories about Ginny's involvement with Dark Magic. There were times when she thought the two year sentences that both Pansy and Blaise were given for their involvement in her kidnapping were too light.

She jumped slightly as Harry quietly walked up behind her and slid his arms around her waist.

"Hey, beautiful," Harry murmured as he began to trail kisses down her neck.

Relaxing into her husband's arms, Ginny arched her neck slightly.

"What's wrong, my love?" Harry whispered.

"Did we make the right choice?" Ginny replied softly. She turned in his arms so she could look up into his eyes.

Harry smiled down at her. "You mean in coming back to England?"

Ginny nodded. "I just feel so torn. I love travelling and we get to see the family often enough. Everyone came to see us this summer."

"I thought you wanted the kids educated in England?" Harry replied.

Ginny sighed. "I know. James and Sirius are so excited about being able to see their cousins more often. I love my new job at the magical zoo and you are playing for England. It just…I wish more had changed. We haven't lived in England for over ten years and I guess I had hoped we wouldn't be the topic of conversation for the papers."

"I know, my love," Harry said. "I'm hoping it will die down soon."

Smiling up at him, Ginny nodded. "I hope so." She laughed. "I'm just…you know how I get when we move someplace new. I get all nervous at first and I'm fine in a few days."

Harry swung her up into his arms. "I think I know a way to make you feel better."

* * *

Ginny hummed as she completed her final walk around the unicorn enclosure. She loved her job at the zoo and despite her fears, the papers had soon lost their overwhelming interest in them. The Potters were happily establishing a home in England. Over the past six months, they had entertained a steady stream of family and friends.

James and Sirius were fast friends with Frankie and Roxanne, George and Angelina's two children as well as Bill and Fleur's three children. Percy had reconciled with the family, but he and Ginny did not see much of each other. Fred and Charlie had yet to marry despite their mother's best efforts. Hermione was pregnant with her and Ron's first child. The Lupins with their three children and the Woods with their two boys were also frequent visitors. Harry and Oliver were playing Quidditch together for the first time in over a decade and they were having a great time.

The sound of laughter greeted Ginny as she came home from work. Following the noise, she walked out onto the patio. Harry had their twins in the air, flying in low circles. Sitting on his broom in front of him, Harry was holding their two year old daughter, Lily. Flying with the Potters were Oliver and his two boys, Colin and Mark.

Alicia turned when she heard Ginny. Greeting the other woman, Ginny asked, "Did they behave for you today?"

"Of course," Alicia replied. "The boys all had a great time. Oliver and Harry finished practice early so we came over here so they could play."

"They sound like they are having a great time," Ginny replied as she caught sight of her youngest daughter, Heather, in her swing. She picked up the baby and snuggled her close.

"So are you happy to be back in England?" Alicia asked.

Watching her husband and children, Ginny nodded. "I am. I loved travelling, but I am really enjoying being so close to all of our family and friends. When we left England, I was so tired of the attention and publicity. The press is still there, but they aren't as hateful as they were before."

She smiled as she heard Lily squealing as Harry looped a circle around James. "I may not have had the life I had planned, but I like this one even better."

Harry looked up and caught her eye. "I love you."

Ginny blew him a kiss as she walked over to join her family.


End file.
